Plant Based Polyester Fiber Breaks Through Dependence Of Textile Oil

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Japanese textile producer Toray industries, Inc. will begin mass production of polyester fiber materials made entirely from plant materials, a breakthrough that is expected to reduce the textile industry's dependence on oil and reduce carbon emissions.

Textile industry has attracted global attention due to its huge carbon emission, especially polyester (also known as polyester), which accounts for 80% of the world's chemical fiber output. Its traditional raw materials "terephthalic acid polyester" and "ethylene glycol polyester" are refined from petroleum.

"Some experts predict that at the current rate of production, proven oil reserves will be depleted in 50 years, which means we need alternative energy sources. A lot of the plastics and textiles we use in our daily lives are oil derived products," Toray said in a statement

Toray's existing technology can convert molasses left over from sugarcane processing into ethylene glycol, and this plant-based alternative is already being used in some fiber products it sells. 30% of the polyester produced by this technology comes from molasses and 70% from petroleum.

In order to develop 100% bio fiber based materials in the world, torent is the first company in the world to develop bio fiber materials. Virent's technology can process the inedible parts of sugarcane and corn into bio based terephthalic acid, replacing the remaining 70% of the petroleum feedstock. Fully plant based polyester materials have the same durability and ease of processing as conventional polyester fibers, and can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because the carbon dioxide generated at the end of the product life cycle is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plant during its growth.

Toray said that some polyester materials derived from plants could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 13%; 100% plant-based polyester materials can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 58%. Toray and Virent envision that the material will be used in outdoor sportswear, work clothes, car interiors and other products.

100% plant based polyester fiber will be put into production as soon as possible in the next 10 years.

Toray also said: "Although this technology is still in the early stage of development, plant-based polyester fiber is making rapid progress in the clothing industry. Although the cost of plant-based polyester is higher than that of petroleum derived polyester, the relative cost of plant-based polyester is steadily decreasing with the development of technology. In addition, with the economic development of emerging countries, the depletion of oil reserves and the increase of energy consumption, The price of oil shows a long-term upward trend. This means that over time, the cost of plant based polyester will become more competitive. If trading countries introduce a global carbon tax to curb emissions, the cost advantage of plant-based polyester will be more obvious. "

Toray plans to quadruple the supply of environmentally friendly materials by fiscal year 2030.

For ethical reasons, more and more clothing companies are abandoning oil-based fibers. For example, Sweden's fast fashion giant H & M said last year that it would switch entirely to sustainable materials by 2030. Fast Retailing, UNIQLO's operator, has also used bio fibers in some products.

In January, FMCG joined the United Nations fashion industry charter for climate action, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. So far, more than 90 companies have signed the Charter.

"In the U.S. and Europe, it's going to be harder and harder to do business without using environmentally friendly materials," said the head of a Japanese textile trading company In the UK alone, purchases of sustainable clothing increased by 16% to 50 million pounds in 2018, 12.5 times that in 1999, according to the journal ethical consumer.