Samsara Eco has appointed Dr Lars Kissau as its first general manager of Asia, based in Singapore to lead the company’s regional expansion and oversee the build of its first 20,000-tonne commercial nylon 6,6 plant, scheduled to open in 2028.
The facility is currently being designed by engineering partner KBR and will be the first of a fleet of international sites using the company’s enzymatic recycling technology, EosEco, to turn mixed plastics and nylon into virgin-identical raw materials. Samsara Eco said Kissau will also build out a regional team of around half a dozen people over the next year to support operations.
Paul Riley, CEO and founder of Samsara Eco, said, “We’ve just opened our first plant in regional Australia and have our eyes firmly set on our first nylon 6,6 plant in Asia.”
Kissau joins from BASF, where he spent two decades in leadership roles, most recently heading its net zero accelerator. Commenting on his move, he said, “Nylon and mixed plastics have historically been a challenge to recycle, which is why Samsara Eco’s potential is so promising. The technology has the power to change the whole value chain of plastics, and with it, change industries.”
The company said plastics recycling remains a major challenge, with only 10 per cent of plastics and less than 1 per cent of textiles currently recycled into new materials.
Samsara Eco’s regional hub in Singapore follows the recent opening of its innovation facility in Jerrabomberra, Australia, and builds on backing from lead investor Temasek, which is also based in Singapore. The business has also signed a 10-year offtake plan with lululemon to supply about 20 per cent of the apparel company’s fibre portfolio.
