#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-05-25

Teijin Frontier develops new chemical recycling technology for polyester fibers

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group's fibers and products converting company, announced today that it has developed a recycling technology using a new depolymerization catalyst to recycle colored polyester fibers without losing the quality of polyester fibers made from petroleum-derived raw materials. The new technology also lowers environmental load compared to conventional recycling.

The technology produces recycled materials equivalent to petroleum-derived polyester raw materials. Using a new depolymerization catalyst for the conventional bis (2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) method, spent polyester is chemically decomposed and purified back into BHET intermediate raw material before being repolymerized into polyester. The production process is simpler than using dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol in a transesterification reaction, so recycling is achieved with less energy consumption. Also, the new technology reuses resources such as wastewater, waste liquid and depolymerization catalysts.

Teijin Frontier will launch a pilot facility at its Matsuyama Plant this month and proceed with verification tests. It also will continue developing recycling technologies to improve the quality of recycled polyester raw materials and reduce environmental load. Aiming to realize a sustainable value chain for a circular economy, Teijin Frontier is working to establish a mechanism for sustainable fiber-to-fiber recycling of polyester in cooperation with partner companies and consortiums both in Japan and global.

Compared to material recycling, which melts and molds used products including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, DMT-based chemical recycling results in less deterioration of quality due to recycling, but its energy consumption is high. The BHET method is often used when recycling from colorless and transparent PET bottles as new PET bottles, and also its energy consumption is lower compared to the DMT method, but there were difficulties in producing high-quality recycled polyester raw material because foreign substances, such as dyes used for colored polyester fibers, could not be completely removed, resulting in discolored recycled raw material.

Teijin Frontier, guided by its THINK ECO® environmental initiative, is striving to improve its environmental value, including through eco-friendly plant management and the development of greener materials and products for applications ranging from clothing to industrial materials.

Teijin announces availability of DPP-compliant products aligned with Europe’s ESPR Environmental Regulation

Teijin Limited announced today that it has started rolling out initiatives to enable aramid fibers and carbon fibers to be accompanied by Digital Product Passport (DPP) technology, which enhances supply chain transparency by verifying the origins of materials and supporting sustainability claims. The company is using the supply chain traceability system from Netherlands-based Circularise B.V., in which Teijin has invested since November 2024, to develop DPPs for each product.

Teijin Carbon showcases new eco-friendly Tenax Next™ R2S 513 6mm short carbon fiber at JEC World 2025

Teijin Carbon, a leading manufacturer of carbon fiber products, is presenting its latest development in sustainable materials at JEC World 2025 (hall 6, G22). New Tenax Next™ R2S 513 6mm is a short carbon fiber product in rice-shaped form for reinforcing thermoplastic compounds that not only offers exceptional performance characteristics but also reinforces the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility and circularity.

Teijin to invest in Circularise B.V. and adopt its supply chain traceability platform to promote the Circular Economy

Teijin Limited announced today that it will invest in Circularise B.V., a company based in The Hague, Netherlands, which develops product traceability management systems using blockchain technology. Teijin will also implement Circularise’s software to improve visibility into its global supply chain. Circularise’s proprietary “Smart Questioning”(*) solution, which utilizes Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology, provides both anonymity and transparency to ensure a highly reliable product traceability system.

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Recover™ secures multi-year recycled cotton agreement with H&M

Recover™ has signed a multi-year agreement with H&M to support the integration of its recycled cotton fiber, RCotton, for use in H&M’s products. Since early 2024, H&M and Recover™ have collaborated on product development, which now enables scaled commercial introduction of Recover™ mechanically recycled cotton into H&M’s collections.

T-CAN – Revolutionizing can transport

In virtually all spinning mills, transporting sliver cans is still done manually. Rising labor costs, lack of operators and increasing quality requirements make this a growing challenge. With T-CAN, Trützschler introduces a practical solution: a fully automated can transport system that will be presented live at ITMA ASIA 2025 in Singapore.

Francois Guetat joins Suominen as COO

Francois Guetat brings over two decades of global experience in operations, supply chain, and manufacturing excellence. Most recently, he served as SVP of Integrated Supply Chain at Kalmar, where he led business across sourcing, manufacturing, logistics and strategy. His leadership has been shaped by 22 years at Volvo, where he held key roles in Sweden, USA, and Poland.

DuPont™ Nomex® plant in Asturias receives ISCC PLUS certification

DuPont announced today that its Nomex® production facility in Tamón, Asturias, has received International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) certification. This achievement underscores DuPont's commitment to advancing its sustainability goals and building capabilities to provide reliable Nomex® solutions from sustainable raw materials worldwide.

From concept to stage: Submit presentations for the Techtextil Forum and Texprocess Forum 2026 now

Anyone who wants to contribute to shaping the future of the textile industry can submit a presentation for the Techtextil and Texprocess Forum by 15 December 2025. Both stages represent innovation and practical solutions and promote exchange between research and industry. An international Programme Committee selects the contributions and curates a programme on key future topics in the textile sector. From 21 to 24 April 2026, the two leading trade fairs will once again be the centre of global business dialogue in Frankfurt.