Three Japanese companies, Teijin Limited (Tokyo), JGC Holdings Corp. (Yokohama), and Itochu Corp. (Tokyo) have signed a joint agreement to license polyester chemical processing technologies for the conversion of recycled polyester textile materials into new fibers.

There is an immediate need to solve sustainability concerns in the fiber and textile industry, such as mass disposal of clothing and environmental problems such as elevated levels of CO2 released during processing.

Teijin has comprehensive and global expertise in this field, having built the world's first large-scale plant using chemical recycling technologies to manufacture polyester from recycled polyester textile items.

JGC has developed world-class engineering technology and has acquired a wide range of expertise in the oil & gas sectors, among others. It is now focusing on the construction of environmentally sustainable plants and on other technologies and businesses related to the protection of the environment.

Itochu launched its “RENU” project in 2019, with the goal of addressing the issue of unnecessary waste in the textile industry while also creating a global market for recycled polyester materials extracted from used clothing and spare fabric produced during textile production.

This partnership would tie together Teijin's patented chemical recycling technologies used in the polyester manufacturing process, JGC's global technical experience, and Itochu’s extensive network of textile industry players.

The three companies intend to create a method for collecting recycled polyester fiber items as well as a cost-effective chemical recycling technology for repurposing them as raw materials. Teijin, JGC, and Itochu want to increase the number of effective solutions for the mass disposal of used textile materials in the future.