At this critical moment, at this time of great change, the “polyester recycling storm” sweeping the world is brewing a new recycled plastics revolution. It is understood that the amount of plastic used worldwide has increased 20 times in the past 50 years and is expected to double again in the next 20 years. This material is cheap and widely used, but it also brings huge environmental costs. Compared with other materials, the reuse rate of plastics is very low. Only 14% of plastics are recycled globally, compared with 58% of paper and 90% of steel. Plastic production accounts for 6% of global oil consumption and is expected to grow to 20% by 2050 on the current trajectory. The clothing production process also uses a lot of plastic, mainly polyester, which is favored by the clothing manufacturing industry because it dries quickly and is lightweight.
In the context of global concern about garbage issues, whether Environmental organizations and companies from all walks of life have made commitments and taken actions. Announcing the use of environmentally friendly recycled fibers or adopting sustainable alternatives can, on the one hand, effectively fulfill corporate social responsibilities, and on the other hand, it can also create topics for the company, attract attention, win consumer support, and not lag behind competitors. It is a positive marketing tool.
Japan’s Toray develops new commercial fibers, and polyester leaders rush to develop recycled polyester fibers
A few days ago, Japan’s Toray developed a product called “& +” new commercial fiber. The successful development of this fiber will create a new world in the field of commercial fiber production from waste PET plastic bottles.
Toray aims to promote the recycling of PET waste plastic bottles while achieving closed-loop economic development in the industry through the production of high value-added fibers. Toray plans to position &+ as a signature product for the growing demand for PET plastic bottle recycling and promote it to global markets. At the same time, another important goal is to expand the application fields of “&+” high value-added fiber.
During the development process, Toray has developed a series of innovative technologies such as traceability technology to produce this high value-added, plastic bottle Derived white fiber. It is mainly used in sportswear, fashion, work clothes, home clothes, and consumer goods where the use of fiber derived from waste plastic bottles was strictly prohibited due to pollution problems in the past. Toray has cooperated with Japan’s Kyoei Industrial Company to develop pollution filtration technology and advanced cleaning technology to remove impurities and yellow tones in raw materials and solve the yellowing phenomenon that occurs with plastic aging. The proprietary recycling identification system created by the company can detect additives mixed in raw materials to ensure the reliability of raw materials derived from plastic bottles. Toray plans to establish a production system for PET plastic bottle-derived fibers through its global production plants and expand its applications in the fiber, fabric, and clothing supply chains. Toray will also establish a new supply structure to meet the needs of customers pursuing sustainable development. As part of its green innovation business expansion plan, Toray is continuously establishing and consolidating its industry position in energy conservation, biomass, recycling and related fields, and providing long-lasting environmental, resource and energy solutions.
Adidas and other shoe and apparel giants announced that they will only use recycled polyester in 2024
Recently, Adidas CMO Eric Liedtke said that Adidas will start using recycled polyester on its own clothing and footwear products in 2024. Made entirely from recycled polyester.
According to Adidas’s plan, the usage rate of recycled polyester in its 2019 spring and summer clothing series will reach 41%. For the past two years, Adidas has been working with a marine ecology and environmental organization called Parley for the Oceans to launch Ultraboost Uncaged Parley, a running shoe made from ocean plastic waste. Last year, the sales volume was about 1 million pairs, and it is expected to reach 5 million pairs this year. Nike launched a new recycled leather material Flyleather in September 2017. This shoe is made of 50% recycled natural leather fiber and water. It is 40% lighter than ordinary leather, but is five times more durable than ordinary leather. At the same time, the entire It also saves 90% of water consumption in production. Nike has been recognized as the largest user of recycled polyester materials in the industry for four consecutive years. In 2017, 75% of Nike footwear and apparel products used recycled materials. In fact, in addition to Adidas, sports brands such as Nike, Puma and Reebok have also launched sneaker products made of recyclable materials. Nike’s Nike Grind material is made by recycling existing products and materials. In April 2017, Reebok launched a pair of environmentally friendly concept shoes with uppers woven from organic cotton and soles made from industrial corn.
Market vane – at the Shanghai Exhibition, recycled and environmentally friendly fabrics stole the show
In the downstream of the polyester industry chain, the market demand for recycled and environmentally friendly fabrics has also become more obvious. Improved, compared with conventional fabrics, recycled and environmentally friendly aspectsThe price of gray fabrics is 50% higher, and the price of finished fabrics is 80% higher. But even at such a high price, the market is still in short supply of recycled fabrics. According to the just-concluded 25th China International Textile and Accessories Exhibition, recycled and environmentally friendly fabrics were all the rage.
According to visits to exhibitors, Ms. Yang, the sales manager of a textile company in Wujiang that specializes in knitted denim series, was deeply touched by this. In the first half of this year, the company developed a recycled environmentally friendly fabric, BCI cotton for yarn. Once it was launched, it was well received by the market, and orders were received very quickly. In Bangladesh alone, several cabinets can be shipped out in a week. Manager Zhang, the person in charge of a weaving company that produces peach skin velvet, also said that the fully recycled matte peach they launched has huge demand in the market, and many customers have reached purchase intentions at the exhibition. More representatively, a weaving company revealed to the editor that the machines in their factory are now mixed with old and new machines. Orders for new machines to weave recycled fabrics have been scheduled until the end of the year and there is no time to make them. Old machines can only weave conventional fabrics and are now in stock for two months. Comparison can be made That’s very strong.
Downstream companies use recycled materials, opportunities and challenges coexist, and the polyester industry is facing a reshuffle!
On the road to sustainable green development, there are more and more travelers. Nowadays, industrial resources are increasingly scarce and natural resources are becoming scarce. The textile and clothing industry is facing tremendous pressure and is beginning to seek new, more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative textile materials. Regenerated fiber will undoubtedly become a trend. But it also represents both opportunities and challenges for the polyester industry.
1. Restrictions on downstream low-value industries
The application of some downstream low-value industries, such as chemical fiber, may face huge challenges. Some companies may not be able to use recycled polyester plastic bottle flakes because the price is too expensive. The main reason is that after cleaning the bottle flakes, they are graded and used. Many of them are of excellent quality, such as A-grade materials, 3A, 5A, etc., and the price of recycled materials has exceeded that of fiber. The value borne.
Because the value of fiber is suppressed by the value of virgin fiber, although some varieties are higher than the virgin value, 80 to 90% of the product values are lower than the virgin value, and there is no room for growth. As industrial differentiation becomes more refined, some companies will be greatly affected.
2. Strong demand for high-grade raw materials
Sustainable development advocated by some international brands If the strategy is consistent, raw material handlers or mid-to-high-end brand owners not only refer to textile chemical fibers, but also may refer to some packaging materials, such as profiles or membrane materials. High-end materials may have better development space. But in general, due to the restrictions on the export and import of waste plastics by various countries’ policies, polyester materials are faced with the possibility of on-site digestion in places such as China and Southeast Asia, and the utilization rate is increased. At the same time, the demand for high-grade raw materials is extremely strong.
However, some production areas have high production costs due to manpower or incomplete industrial chains. They go to Southeast Asia to purchase high-grade raw materials, resulting in many A-grade materials in Southeast Asia being more expensive than downstream products.
At the same time, with the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” and “Going Out” strategies, in some countries with low labor costs and low raw material prices, such as Africa, foreign countries may outflank domestic fallbacks, and foreign regenerative industrial chains can replace us. The re-division and redefinition of labor in various countries may lead to the reorganization of domestic industries, which will be a major blow to some companies, while it will be a major opportunity for others. How long will it take for the chemical fiber industry to enter the “100% green and environmentally friendly” era? 20 years? 30 years? Or 50 years? The answer may be 10 years, or even less! </p
