[ PRESS RELEASE: Establishing a solid fibre-to-fibre recycled PET polyester (FFrPET) industry is critical for achieving environmental sustainability in the textile and clothing industry.] ]

PRESS RELEASE: Establishing a solid fibre-to-fibre recycled PET polyester (FFrPET) industry is critical for achieving environmental sustainability in the textile and clothing industry

Textiles Intelligence Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 9:11 PM To: Textiles Intelligence Textiles Intelligence Press Release January 2024

For immediate release Establishing a solid fibre-to-fibre recycled PET polyester (FFrPET) industry is critical for achieving environmental sustainability in the textile and clothing industry.

The establishment of a solid fibre-to-fibre recycled PET polyester 
(FFrPET) industry is critical if the textile and clothing industry is 
to achieve environmental sustainability, according to “Fibre innovations
aid the creation of circular textile and apparel supply chains”—a 16-page 
report from the global business information company Textiles 
Intelligence.

PET polyester will remain by far the most widely used type of fibre in
textile and garment production for the foreseeable future, despite strong 
growth in usage of other fibres—notably cellulosic fibres, natural fibres 
and those derived from bioplastics. In fact, polyester production is 
predicted to surpass 80 mn tons by 2030, which will account for well over 
half of total fibre production.

In order to establish routes to the production of FFrPET, a number of 
large-scale projects are now under way. These involve some major companies 
which have a number of advantages over start-ups in building a workable 
circular system for this material, including the size and scale of their 
operations and the funding which is at their disposal. As a result, the 
scaling up of the FFrPET industry is gaining considerable momentum.

Eastman, for example, is investing in recycling plants based on a process 
called methanolysis. At present, it has the capacity to recycle 110,000 tons 
of polyester annually at one plant in the USA. However, plans are in place 
to start two more plants—one in France and another in the USA—and, as a result, 
the company is expected to triple its overall capacity in 2026.

Meanwhile, Suez and SK Geo Centric (SKGC) are collaborating in the
establishment of a PET plastic and fibre recycling plant in France 
based on Loop Industries technology. The technology is used to 
depolymerise PET plastic and polyester fibre waste and the resulting 
monomers can be recycled infinitely to produce virgin quality PET 
resin without degradation of quality. As such, the new recycling 
facility will manufacture 100% recycled and infinitely recyclable 
virgin quality PET resins and have a planned capacity of 
70,000 tons per annum.

Indorama and Carbios are collaborating in the construction of an 
enzymatic PET bio-recycling production plant. The plant will have the 
capacity to process around 50,000 tons of post-consumer PET waste a 
year, which is equivalent to 2 bn PET bottles or 2.5 bn PET trays. 
Carbios has developed a line which integrates all preparation stages 
and uses a fully automated enzymatic biorecycling process to transform 
textile waste from used garments or from cutting scraps into a raw 
material which is suitable for depolymerisation.

Andritz Group is involved in a number of recycling projects in France 
through its Andritz Laroche subsidiary. Also, it is collaborating with 
Pellenc ST and Synergies TLC in the establishment of an industrial-scale 
business, called Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, which combines Pellenc ST’s 
automated sorting technologies with Andritz recycling machines.

Meanwhile, Inditex has formed a strategic partnership with Ambercycle to support the construction of the latter’s first commercial-scale textile regeneration factory. Ambercycle has developed a chemical process for breaking down polyester into its constituent monomers, and these monomers can then be used again to make regenerated polyester fibres. As part of its partnership with Ambercycle, Inditex has signed a three-year agreement under which it has committed to buying a significant proportion of the annual production of these fibres.
Ends.

“Fibre innovations aid the creation of circular textile and apparel supply 
chains” is available for purchase from the global business information 
company Textiles Intelligence and costs £181 (UK), Euro325 
(Europe, Middle East or Africa) or US$426 (Americas or Asia Pacific). 
For further information or to purchase this report, email us at 
subscriptions@textilesintelligence.com 

The report is also available in Issue No 223 of Textile Outlook International. Other reports published in this issue include: “Editorial: Foreign suppliers to the EU and US textile and clothing industries face uncertainties over sustainable product legislation”; “Global trends in fibre prices, production and consumption, December 2023”; “International markets for T-shirts, 2023”; “Sustainable product developments and innovations in textiles and clothing, December 2023”; and “Trends in world textile and clothing trade, 2023”

.


Textile Outlook International is published six times a year by 
Textiles Intelligence. Each issue provides an independent and 
worldwide perspective on the global fibre, textile and apparel 
industries.


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