The Teijin Group has launched a new programme in China to collect and recycle used garments in collaboration with sports apparel company Li Ning.
Recycling will be carried out using Teijin’s Eco Circle closed-loop system used to recycle polyester. As part of the programme, Li Ning has designed tennis and training wear using Teijin Fibers’ recycled Eco Circle fibres, which are woven into textiles and dyed by Nantong Teijin, a Teijin subsidiary based in Nantong, China. The inaugural 2009-10 winter line-up will be sold at 11 stores managed by Li Ning beginning in October.
Li Ning stores will encourage customers to bring back garments that are worn out, and will then send the garments to Teijin Fibers’ Matsuyama plant in Japan. They will be converted into polyester raw material which will then be turned into Eco Circle fibres.
According to Teijin, the programme reduces both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 80% compared with conventional petroleum-based processes used to produce polyester.
Norio Kamei, general manager at Teijin Limited and president of Teijin Fibers Limited, said: “The need for environmental responsibility is becoming increasingly urgent, so it is of great significance that a major company like Li Ning has joined our Eco Circle programme to advance environmental protection in China. Teijin looks forward to working closely with Li Ning to demonstrate our mutual commitment to achieving sustainable, environmentally responsible societies.”
