Japanese Fiber Manufacturer Promoting Closed-Loop Clothing Recycling System in China

Teijin Fibers Ltd., a leading manufacturer of polyester fiber in Japan, announced on September 20, 2009, the launch of a closed-loop recycling system for used polyester products in collaboration with Li Ning Co. Ltd., a leading Chinese sports apparel company.

Teijin Fibers started collecting used polyester products in 1999 and launched closed-loop recycling system called ECO CIRCLE in 2002, using the company's proprietary chemical recycling technology, and it has since been developing recycling programs in cooperation with more than 120 companies worldwide, but this its first attempt in China.

As the first step, the two companies jointly developed Li Ning's new tennis and training wear for the 2009-10 season. Li Ning manufactured the products using textiles made of Teijin Fibers' recycled polyester fiber -- named ECOCIRCLE FIBERS -- woven and dyed by Nantong Teijin Co., Ltd., a Teijin group company based in Nantong, China. The Li Ning stores will be collecting used clothing, from where they will be sent, via Nantong Teijin, to Teijin Fibers' Matsuyama plant in Japan. After being chemically decomposed at the molecular level, they will be converted into polyester ECOCIRCLE FIBERS from the post-consumer polyester materials.

By using recycled polyester fiber, both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions can be drastically reduced -- compared to the conventional petroleum-based processes used to produce polyester -- but it also avoids deterioration of fiber quality. Li Ning aims to expand its lineup of clothing made with recycled polyester fiber, as well as increase the number of its sales locations in China within three years to more than 100.

Teijin Introduces China's First Closed-Loop Polyester-Recycling Program In Collaboration with Li Ning
http://www.teijin.co.jp/english/news/2009/ebd090920.html
Teijin Fibers Closed-Loop Recycling System Welcomes 100th Participant (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028732.html

Posted: 2010/01/03 06:00:15 AM