Intertextile Apparel: Prutac expects 20 kilotons of recycled nylon 66 by mid-year
China-based trade fair Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics concluded on March 8, after playing host to 3,000-plus exhibitors over three days of seminars and sourcing activity inside the megacity’s National Exhibition and Convention Center.
New exhibitors for the spring-summer 2025 edition included the countries of Spain, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Singapore. Dedicated pavilions were staged by Italy, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, whereas France and Turkey each took a “zone”.
Organisation-led pavilions were assembled by Korea Textile Center, certifying body Oeko-Tex and, once again, Austrian manmade cellulosic fibre (MMCF) producer Lenzing, the developer behind MMCFs like Tencel, Refibra and Ecovero. Just under 1,100 fabric samples were on display inside the hall’s Trend Forum area alone, organiser Messe Frankfurt (Hong Kong) said.
Among innovations including recycled cellulose content Innocell fibres and “machine washable” Silkology silk, Hong Kong producer Advance Textile also exhibited a selection of knitted denims at its own sprawling booth inside hall 5.1. Eastman’s Naia brand, meanwhile, showcased denim-related opportunities for the first time.
Nylon producer Prutac (Prutex) notably debuted a chemically recycled nylon 66 at the show, PruEco, which commercial director Lin Zhu described as only the second of its kind in the world. The company, based in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, said it expects to reach 20 kilotons capacity by mid-year, with the objective to scale up to 80 kilotons annually after that, although production of 100 kilotons a year would “still not be enough”, given demand, he told sportstextiles. Its two primary feedstocks are waste nylon fabric and fishing nets.
The next event in the Intertextile portfolio, Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics, will take place between June 5 and 7. Autumn's edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held from August 27 to 29.
A golf-inspired section of Prutac’s booth at the fair. Credit: World Trades Publishing.
