Material Source and Application of Recycled Polyester

Recycled fibers subvert the traditional source of raw materials. It takes local materials and comprehensively utilize waste resources.So these give the fibers “second life” and create new functional fibers comparable to the original quality. Among them, recycled polyester has now been widely used.

Recycled polyester is a polyester fiber made from waste polyester.And the fiber is from bottle flakes, waste silk, foam material, waste pulp, waste textiles and so on. Then We recycled the fibers through a regeneration process.

There are two main production processes: one is the physical recycling production method, which uses recycled materials such as bottle materials and polyester waste silk to be crushed and pelletized directly; the other is the chemical recycling production method, which uses waste polyester such as waste clothing and scraps. The material is the initial raw material, which is reduced to polyester through thorough chemical decomposition.

We can find the environmental performance of recycled polyester in the use of waste. First, it can effectively reduce waste emissions, save energy consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Second, it saves nearly 80% of energy compared to conventional production of polyester fibers. Third, recycled polyester plays a role in protecting the environment to a certain extent. In addition, it can reduce the amount of oil used. And each ton of finished yarn can save 6 tons of oil. This contributes to reducing air pollution and controlling the greenhouse effect.

In general, you need to pass GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification:

The proportion of recycled content of certified products is ≥20%, such as: recycled polyester, recycled cotton, recycled down, recycled spandex, recycled PET, polyester chips, recycled EVA, etc. And you can apply for GRS if the proportion of 20% or more. In addition,you can apply for a label to the certification body if the recycled ingredients are ≥50%, .

(1) Renewable content: The product’s regenerated content greater than 20% is the access condition for certification. If the product plans to hang the GRS label, the proportion of its regenerated content must be greater than 50%.
(2) Social Responsibility: Whether the working environment of employees is safe, whether they wear appropriate protective clothing, whether the health status of the employees, whether there is child labor, and whether the weekly and monthly working hours comply with the regulations, etc.
(3) Chemical management: chemical management guidelines and policies used in the production process of GRS products.
(4) Environmental management: Whether the company has an environmental management system, whether it has control over energy use, water, waste water, waste gas, etc.

In recent years, in order to implement the concept of environmental protection, major brands have adopted recyclable and degradable materials to promote the sustainable development of the supply chain. Well-known brands such as Burberry, Adidas, Nike, H&M, etc. began to continuously require suppliers to provide more environmentally friendly fibers.And the use of recycled fibers is gradually increasing each year.

In order to transform the industry into a sustainable business model, in 2018, brands such as Adidas, Nike, H&M, Burberry and Gap announced that they would join the Make Fashion Circular program initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They promise to reduce waste in the global fashion industry by recycling raw materials and products.
After launching the plan, major brands have integrated environmental protection concepts into actual production and design:

Burberry