China Recycled Polyester DTY Yarn Raw White Semi Dull Reboyarn Factory

Nearly half of the world’s clothing is made of polyester and Greenpeace forecasts this amount to nearly double by 2030. Why? The athleisure trend if one of the main reasons behind it: an increasing number of consumers are look for stretchier, more resistant garments. The problem is, polyester is not a sustainable textile option, as it is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most common type of plastic in the world. In short, the majority of our clothes come from crude oil, while the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is calling for drastic actions to keep the world’s temperature to a maximum of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

Polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) is derived from a chemical reaction involving petroleum, air, and water. This artificial fiber is comprised of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and monotheluene glycol (MEG). Polyester is thermoplastic, meaning it can be melted and reformed. When making polyester, chemists melt polyester pellets and force them through small holes (spinnerets). On the exit side of the spinnerets, the continuous filaments of what we know as polyester fibers solidify. The size and shape of the hole dictate the shape and diameter of the fibers. The fibers are solid polymer; there are no void spaces inside the fibers. These continuous filaments—called “tow”—can be cut to any length (there is no length distribution, all fibers are manufactured to be perfectly homogeneous) to produce staple fibers for use in textiles and nonwovens, or they can be left as a continuous monofilament, which resembles fishing line.

In April 2022, China Chemical Fibers Association officially released the 2021 chemical fiber industry output pre-ranking list. The ranking list is divided into the main subdivision product ranking and the comprehensive ranking of chemical fiber. Among them, HAILI occupies the top position in the pre-ranking of the production of recycled polyester filaments. This has been the company's fifth consecutive year ranking first in the country.

PET Bottle Flakes are obtained from post-consumer recycled PET bottles.

When it comes to clothing - products that touch our skin, our biggest organ - it’s inevitable to talk about the impact of the materials used in the making of garments on our health. Is recycled polyester safe, or is it toxic?

As you were reading this post, you may have wondered: is recycled polyester the only option when developing sustainable sportswear? What about natural fibres? Of the materials currently available on the market, natural fibres such as Merino wool or Tencel have similar properties to those of polyester. However, as of today, there is no natural fibre or treated natural fibre that has the moisture control of polyester (or polyamide) and can, therefore, be applied to high-performance sports textile.