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Chemical Recycling Mini-Landscape: Polyester (PET)

Chemical Recycling Mini-Landscape: Polyester (PET)

This document is a polyester-specific version of the larger chemical recycling landscape, and is the slideset that was used in the recorded lecture on polyester recycling . It analyses the challenges, processes, and innovation opportunities within the industry, comparing mechanical and chemical recycling while highlighting the latest developments in solvent separation, depolymerisation, and textile-to-textile recycling. The landscape also addresses the barriers to scaling chemical recycling, the role of pre- and post-consumer waste, and the potential impact on sustainability and circularity in the fashion industry.

Last updated: 15/08/2023

Introduction & Key Terms

The fashion industry generates large amounts of polyester waste, with only a small portion being recycled or reused. Most polyester recycling today is bottle-to-textile, but there is an urgent need to develop textile-to-textile recycling solutions to close the loop.

Mechanical vs. Chemical Recycling:

  • Mechanical recycling relies on shredding and melting but results in lower-quality fibres with limited recyclability.
  • Chemical recycling breaks polyester down into its original monomers or purified polymers, allowing for higher-quality recycling and multiple reuse cycles.

Challenges in Polyester Chemical Recycling:

  • Requires high-quality, high-purity feedstock, making large-scale textile waste processing difficult.
  • Pre-processing barriers, such as dye, finish, additive, and elastane removal, limit scalability.
  • Most innovations focus on pre-consumer waste, while post-consumer waste remains largely untapped.
  • Many chemical recyclers are still at pilot or demonstration scale, making costs high and production limited.
  • The industry must shift from bottle-to-textile recycling towards true textile-to-textile solutions.

Innovation Opportunities:

  • Advanced sorting and pre-processing technologies to improve feedstock purity.
  • Energy-efficient and low-impact depolymerisation techniques.
  • Processing of post-consumer, contaminated, and blended feedstocks.
  • Life cycle assessments (LCAs) and impact studies to demonstrate the benefits of textile-to-textile recycling.

Key Processes in Polyester Recycling:

  • Solvent Separation: Dissolves polyester for purification and reuse.
  • Depolymerisation: Breaks polyester into monomers using glycolysis, methanolysis, or hydrolysis.
  • Polymerisation & Fibre Production: Converts recovered monomers into new polyester yarns.

This landscape explores these chemical recycling methods, key players in the market, and future opportunities to scale sustainable polyester recycling.

Contents

  1. Introduction
    • The Need for Chemical Recycling in Polyester Textiles
    • Mechanical vs. Chemical Recycling
  2. Challenges in Chemical Recycling of Polyester
    • Feedstock Purity Requirements
    • Pre-Processing Limitations
    • Scaling Issues & Cost Barriers
  3. Innovation & Market Opportunities
    • Advanced Sorting & Pre-Processing
    • Textile-to-Textile Recycling Innovations
    • Energy-Efficient & Low-Impact Chemical Processes
  4. Chemical Recycling Processes
    • Solvent Separation vs. Depolymerisation
    • Glycolysis, Methanolysis, and Hydrolysis Methods
    • Outputs: Monomers, Polymers, or Yarn
  5. Industry Players & Value Chain Analysis
    • Leading Innovators in Polyester Chemical Recycling
    • Supply Chain Challenges & Solutions
  6. Future Outlook & Questions for Innovation Scouting