Textile Recycling Technologies, Colouring and Finishing Methods

Stein Fibres 
42
 
(USA) 
Post-consumer PET 
bottles, post-industrial 
textile waste 
Infinity Polyester, 100% 
recycled polyester fiber.
2 Streams: 
Gold (100% post-
consumer PET bottle 
flake) and Silver (at least 
30% post-consumer bottle 
flake, remainder is post-
industrial reclaimed PET) 
Largest 
producers 
of 
polyester 
fibrefill and non-woven fibres in 
North America.
Distribution (relevant to Canada): 
Charlotte-Toronto, and Montreal-
Vancouver 
Teijin 
43
 
(Japan) 
Post-consumer PET 
bottles 
ECOPET™ staple fibre, 
spun yarn, fibre product 
Mechanical recycling 
Toray 
44
 
(Japan) 
Post-consumer PET 
bottles, post-industrial 
textile waste 
ECOUSE™ fabrics 
Mechanical process blends recycled 
PET pellets with cotton, to spin to 
thread for ECOUSE™ products. 
Unifi 
45
 
(USA) 
Post-consumer PET 
bottles, post-industrial 
textile waste 
Repreve® yarns (wide 
product range): staple and 
filament fibres 
Flake and resin products 
Mechanical recycling 
80/20 post-industrial/post-consumer 
waste.
36
 

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Textile Recycling Technologies, Colouring and Finishing Methods | Le 
17 
Table 5: Polyester - Chemical Recycling Stakeholders
Company 
Feedstock/Input, 
Requirements 
Product/Output 
Description or Processes 
Far Eastern 
New Century 
Corporation 
(FENC) 
46,47 
(Taiwan) 
 
Post-consumer PET 
bottles 
TopGreen® 
recycled fibre 
Chemical recycling, back-to-oligomer. 
Depolymerization by glycolysis of PET to 
BHET oligomer, which is filtered and 
repolymerized into PET (96% material 
efficiency). The polymer is spun into 
filament fibre. Process solid waste disposed 
in incineration facility with electricity 
recovery (43% recovery rate).
47
Post-consumer PET 
bottles, Agro-waste 
(haulm and husk) 
TopAgro™ (bio-
based) fibre 
Sintering technology converts the plant 
waste to ash form (nano-inorganic 
materials). Ash is combined with recycled 
PET flakes and chemically recycled.