Toray and Patagonia make nylon recycling pact
Tokyo-based fibres, textiles, plastics and chemicals company Toray Industries recently launched a joint project for chemical recycling of nylon 6 with California-based Patagonia International, Inc. The companies intend to kick-off the recycling effort with the 2008 spring-summer collection of surf trousers, and will later expand the project to cover the autumn-winter collection of hard-shell, alpine climbing jackets.
These products will be sold at 2,000 retail stores in 12 countries globally. Under Patagonia’s ‘Common Threads Garment Recycling Program’, customers can return products they no longer need to one of its stored in exchange for a sticker. The products will then be restored to their raw material form – caprolactam – at Toray’s facilities and reused during the nylon 6 manufacturing process.
Reusing the nylon 6 is said to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 70% compared with the regular petroleum-based nylon 6. The two companies have worked in partnership since Patagonia started using Toray’s signature waterproof, moisture permeable Entrant fabric for its outdoor garments in 1984.
