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Markets for polyester in textiles and apparel: looking ahead to biobased and recycled materials

Publisher Textiles Intelligence
Published Jun 01, 2025
Length 21 Pages
SKU # TXI20190609

Description

Polyester has transformed the global textile market and is a cornerstone of apparel, as well as being an important fibre in home textiles, industrial applications and nonwovens. Today, polyester accounts for over half of global fibre production and its dominance is due largely to its exceptional performance properties. Expansion has been driven by demand for durable, versatile and cost-effective materials, by improvements in manufacturing techniques and by regular innovations. It has also been driven by the rise of the activewear and athleisure markets. In fact, the presence of polyester in these markets has grown exponentially, reflecting a need for performance fabrics which provide comfort, durability and functionality. Looking ahead, the polyester fibre industry is about to see its biggest change in decades with the rapid acceleration of industrial-scale fibre-to-fibre recycling. In the case of mechanical recycling, plants—equipped with Andritz machinery—have recently been inaugurated by Nouvelles Fibres Textiles (NFT) in France and RE&UP in Turkey. However, chemical recycling is expected to have the biggest impact in the years to 2030 and, anticipating this development, several companies are building new capacity and licensing their technologies, including Ambercycle, Carbios, Eastman, Far Eastern New Century (FENC), Loop Industries, Reju and Syre. Together, these technologies should ensure the dominance of polyester fibre for many years to come.

Table of Contents

21 Pages
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
SIZE AND GROWTH OF THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR POLYESTER
Global market for polyester fibre in value terms
Production of polyester fibre by volume
Demand for polyester fibre in volume terms
Demand for polyester fibre in India and China
DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE MARKET FOR POLYESTER
Polyester: market expansion and key milestones
PROPERTIES AND PERFORMANCE OF POLYESTER IN APPAREL
POLYESTER IN SPORTSWEAR AND OUTDOOR APPAREL
MECHANICAL RECYCLING OF POLYESTER
France
Turkey
CHEMICAL RECYCLING OF POLYESTER
Regenerating pure chemical polymers from textile waste
Ambercycle: manufacturing agreements
Ambercycle: offtake agreements
Reju
Converting polymers back into monomers
Methanolysis
Glycolysis
Hydrolysis
Enzymatic recovery
ALTERNATIVE POLYESTERS
OceanSafe: naNea
Kintra Fibers: Kintra bio-based and biodegradable polyester fibres
CONCLUSION

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