They are “challenging” the clothing  idustry to commit to bringing the percentage of recycled polyester up from 14% to 45% at 17.1 million metric tons by 2025. 

The 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge builds on the Textile Exchange’s 2017 Recycled Polyester Commitment.  

It said: “We encourage brands to commit to the most ambitious uptake target possible. Between 80% and 100% recycled polyester commitments from the brands in our community will be essential to reaching our 2025 45% recycled volume target and for building critical mass to reach an absolute 90% recycled volume share by 2030.”

Polyester (PET) is the most widely used fibre in the apparel industry, accounting for around 52% of the total volume of fibres produced globally. The apparel industry accounts for around 32 million tons of the 57 million tons of polyester used each year. Currently, only approximately 14% of this comes from recycled inputs – predominantly from post-consumer PET bottles, according to the Textile Exchange Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report 2020.   

It added: “Today, mechanically recycled polyester from plastic water bottles makes up the vast majority of recycled polyester; however, chemical recycling and, more specifically, textile to textile recycling will be a necessary part of reaching our goal. We recognise that more data is needed on the GHG reductions associated with chemical recycling and that even with less significant reductions compared to mechanical recycling, it is a key part of the solution. We will continue to explore roadmap scenarios as impact data evolves and as the textile-to-textile recycling market matures.”    

Companies do not need to be a member of Textile Exchange or the Recycled Polyester Round Table to join the Challenge. They will be required to report their polyester consumption to Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) survey, which will track progress.

Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash