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Axens, IFPEN and JEPLAN have completed a recycling loop for polyester textiles.
Several tens of tons of post-consumer, polyester-rich, European textile wastes, sorted and prepared in France, have been processed in the Axens, IFPEN and JEPLAN semi-industrial demonstration unit, located in Japan, to successfully produce the base monomer of a 100% recycled polyester.
This step paves the way for circular polyester loops for the textile industry, in particular sportswear, home furnishings and the luxury sector.
- AXENS, IFPEN and JEPLAN announce the success of a major industrial test for recycling post-consumer textile waste rich in polyester (PET) using their Rewind® PET technology. This test was carried out in their semi-industrial unit (capacity 1,000 ton/year) operated by JEPLAN in Japan.
- This validation at a significant scale consisted in processing several tens of tons of textiles from the French public collection, sorted and prepared by two French partners, Nouvelles Fibres Textile and Mapea. Several tens of tons of the base monomer of polyester, BHET, have been produced and will soon be converted into polyester yarns, fabrics and garments.
- This industrial textile-to-textile recycling test of several tons of post-consumer PET is one of the first of its kind under representative industrial conditions. It paves the way for large-scale industrial chemical recycling of textile polyester, offering textile stakeholders a building block that can be integrated into a global strategy across the entire value chain committed to reduction, reuse, and textile recycling.
Markets and deployment model
The technology, already proven and commercialized for recycling all PET packaging, including food-contact applications, is now validated for textile use under an exclusive license granted by IFPEN/JEPLAN to Axens worldwide to any industrial player wishing to develop local or regional textile-to-textile loops.
The PET recycled from this process is intended to be converted into yarn, fabric and then garments, thus completing the textile-to-textile loop for segments such as:
- sportswear and outdoor (heavy consumers of polyester);
- home furnishings (upholstery fabrics, curtains, covers);
- certain luxury applications that incorporate polyester in a controlled manner.
Enable the development of circularity
Approximately 60% of global textile production relies on polyester and other synthetic fibers, while less than 1% of fibers produced today come from genuine textiles recycled into textiles.
In a world where volumes of textile wastes are rapidly increasing and where textile-to-textile recycling remains limited, this semi-industrial test provides concrete proof that a circular production of polyester can now be rapidly implemented on a significant scale, from post-consumer waste streams.
The Rewind PET process thus fits into a global circular strategy. It offers textile manufacturers a concrete lever to reduce consumption of virgin materials and extend the products life cycle.
Moreover, the technology offers the shortest pathway to recycle spent textiles with a positive impact on carbon footprint and cost.
About Axens
Axens Group offers a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass into cleaner fuels, the production and purification of the main petrochemical intermediates, the chemical recycling of plastics and metals, natural gas treatment and conversion options, carbon capture and environmental solutions for air and water treatment.
Their offer includes technology processes, equipment such as furnaces and modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. AXENS is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility studies to start-up and monitoring of units throughout their lifecycle. This unique position guarantees optimum performance and a reduced environmental footprint. AXENS' international offering is based on highly qualified human resources, modern production facilities and an extensive global network for industrial, technical support and sales services.
Note: This story has not been edited by The Polymerupdate Editorial team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
