recycled polyester

Recycled polyester: a sustainability challenge to pick up.

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1 Recycled Polyester (rPET) at a glance

Polyester had been the most widely used fiber worldwide in 2020.

The annual production is around 57 million tons and corresponds to 52% of the global fibre production; recycled Polyester (rPET) is 14% of those 52 million tons.

But there's more: Polyester production is foreseen to grow up to 67 milion tons in 2025and the rPET is expected to reach 17% of global fibre production within 2025.

2 The sustainability of rPET

Most polyester is mechanically recycled from PET bottles. Each kg of mechanically recycled polyester represents a reduction in GHG emissions by more than 70% as compared to virgin polyester.

Textile to textile recycling and the use of ocean plastic as feedstock for recycled polyester is expected to grow in the coming years.

The 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, launched by Textile Exchange and the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, pushes the apparel industry to commit to increasing the global percentage of recycled polyester to 45 percent at 17.1 million metric tons by 2025.

Many brands already committed, amongst with Adidas, G-Star Raw, H&M Group, Inditex Group, VF Corp.

Consumers researching sustainable clothing on Google drastically increased over the last years: the keyword #recycled in the apparel category increased accordingly. The top related topics are clothing, sustainability and brand.

3 We provide advanced chemicals for the rPET value chain

The green route is our vision of sustainability: a lifelong path more than a to-do list to be checked. we choose to partner up with the most relevant certification bodies of the textile value chain to validate our words with facts. We are a bluesign system partner, ZDHC contributors, and all our products for rPET are global recycle standards (GRS) compliant.

4 Product range for fibres

PUROPOL PE 67​ - POY-DTY SPIN FINISH

  • Succesfully used on low dpf filaments​
  • Superior wetting power to ensure the lubrication at lower dosage level, 30% OPU reduction vs market standard spin fisnishes​
  • Long lasting antistatic performances to prolong the yarn storage time​
  • Compatible with synthetic and mineral coning oils ​
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant

TALLOPOL BIOCONE​ - GRS COMPLIANT CONING OIL

  • Low viscosity and excellent fibre covering
  • Optimal washability​
  • Antisplash/Antisling agent included
  • Synthetic biodegradable oil
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant

TALLOPOL CT 39​ - SPIN FINISH FOR rPET STAPLE FIBRE​

  • Spin finish suitable for virgin, recycled and bottle flakes polyester
  • It’s thermostable and avoids smoke generation in the stenter area, reducing the air pollution
  • Ensures low deposit formation preventing the stenter contamination
  • It can be applied in spinning, drawing and before cutter
  • Suitable for one and two step production processes
  • Compatible with softeners and antistatic agents, if needed
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant
5 Product range for sizing

WISESTER N530​ - polyester-based sizing agent for rPET filament

  • High Cohesion of filament and abrasion resistance
  • Suitable for a dry loom (air-jet – rapier) and water-jet loom
  • Versatile product for all kinds of yarn: FDY, DTY, BSY, High Tenacity
  • Easy washability completely removed from fabric by washing
  • Good compatibility with spin finish
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved
6 Product range for pretreatment

IDROSOLVAN RO7: HIGH-YIELD DETERGENT FOR SCOURING OF rPET AND BLENDS.

  • Highly concentrated mixture of non-ionic surfactants, easily dosable with all automatic dosing systems.
  • Outstanding emulsifying power towards fatty substances and silicon oils.
  • Suitable for every kind of goods (yarn, knitted, and woven fabrics).
  • Highly efficient also for blends with elastomeric fibres.
  • Extremely low-foaming agent suitable for machineries with high mechanical actions.
  • Successfully integrated with many different pretreatment processes, in several countries worldwide.
  • Highly biodegradable
  • Free from hazardous chemicals
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex
7 Product range for dyeing

PERMULSIN AO 300: HIGH-YIELD ANTI-OLIGOMER AGENT FOR rPET DYEING

  • Keeps oligomers, present in higher level in rPET, in dispersion during the discontinuous dyeing
  • Outstanding anti-aggregation effect
  • Prevents redeposition and filtration of oligomers
  • Multifunctional effect: dispersing action for the dyestuff as well
  • Free of hazardous chemicals
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex

PERMULSIN PDE: LEVELLING/DISPERSING AGENT FOR rPET DYEING

  • Works as a dispersing agent helping the migration of the dyestuffs and its diffusion inside the fiber
  • Excellent in dyeing of yarn cones (also of large size) and heavy or close texture fabrics;
  • Outstanding power in levelling-migrating, the most critical parameter in rPET dyeing
  • Gives retarding properties at the beginning of the dyeing process, also in particular critical working conditions (e.g. very low L.R. or with dyestuffs at big molecule, used to achieve high fastness);
  • Can be used in alkaline dyeing of polyester and blends with cellulosic fibers;
  • fully compatible with direct and vat dyestuff;
  • Suitable for the dyeing of uneven, faulty shades and in reduction clearing step.
  • Alkylphenols free
  • Highly biodegradable
  • Odorless: improved workplace environment condition
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex

PERMULSIN ELF EXTRA: DISPERSING AGENT FOR DISPERSE DYESTUFF BASED ON POLYNAPHTHALENE SULFONATE CONDENSED

  • Powder dispersing agent for every kind of disperse dyestuff;
  • Outstanding stability also at 130°C
  • Compatible with all textile auxiliaries used in PES dyeing
  • It is also available in liquid form, dosable by automatic systems
  • Improves the stripping of the unfixed disperse dyestuff if used during the reduction clearing
  • Extra-low formaldehyde product
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex

ISOPON ERC: ECO FRIENDLY SOLUTION FOR RECYCLED POLYESTER REDUCTION CLEARING

  • Based on aldols, synergic blend with anionic dispersant
  • Doesn’t contains sulfur and boron reducing agents
  • Removes unfixed disperse dyestuffs from polyester and blends
  • No nasty smell: improved worker place conditions
  • Destroys residual non-exhausted dye in the bath resulting in cleaner wastewater
  • Suitable for automatic dosing system and all kinds of dyeing machinery
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex

LIVESTER BF: MULTIFUNCTIONAL DYEING ACCELERATOR FOR POLYESTER

  • Outstanding performances for PES fibers and their blends dyeing with disperse dyestuff.
  • In 100% PES dyeing goods, it allows to achieve excellent exhaustion of the disperse dyestuff also at temperatures lower than 130°C, for hanks, bobbins and for fabric in beam and jet.
  • Outstanding application at boiling point (OBA): no pressure equipment needed.
  • Perfect for uneven shades recovery.
  • Light and wet fastness are not affected; easily removed by washing after dyeing.
  • Excellent dispersing power
  • Free from critical chemicals of concern for human and environmental health. Benzoates free.> High biodegradability
  • Odorless: improved workplace environment condition
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex
8 Product range for finishing

REAPRET SR NEW: HYDROPHILIC, ANTISTATIC AND SOIL RELEASE DURABLE FINISHING AGENT FOR rPET FIBRES AND BLENDS

  • Permanent hydrophilic performance
  • Can be applied during the dyeing step
  • Color shades are not affected
  • Free from hazardous chemicals
  • bluesign approved, ZDHC certified, GRS compliant, GOTS approved, listed by Inditex

(Sources: Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report 2021 © Textile Exchange, 2021 / WSGN White Paper Create Better: Innovating Towards a Sustainable Future / Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Material Sustainability Index – raw materials “Higg MSI” / Sourcing Journal)

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