Teijin recently established a joint venture with one of China’s largest fibre producers, bringing the manufacture of chemically processed recycled polyester to China.[15]
== Mechanical recycling vs. Chemical recycling ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+MECHANICAL RECYCLING VS. CHEMICAL RECYCLING
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! style="background-color:#66cdaa27408b;width:300px200px;color:#ffffff" | OPPORTUNITYPROCESS! style="background-color:#66cdaa27408b;width:300px200px;color:#ffffff" | BENEFITS! style="background-color:#66cdaa27408b;width:300px;color:#ffffff" | CONSIDERATIONS! style="background-color:#27408b;width:250px;color:#ffffff" | IMPACTS
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| '''Know the difference between natural bamboo linen fabric, and bamboo made from a viscose process.Mechanical recycling''' || • Slows the depletion of non-renewable resources • Fewer CO2 emissions than virgin polyester • Diverts textile waste from landfills || Bamboo viscose • Difficult to label, collect, sort and purify post-consumer garments on a large scale• Some fabrics with chemical backing, lamination, finish or those used in complex blends with other synthetics (nylon, for example) are not physically recyclable.14 • Recycled polyester from PET bottles is particularly suited for use in fabric such as polar fleece, where the construction of the fabric hides slight yarn variations.14 • This process degrades the fibre and eventually the product is disposed of in the landfill. • Beware: The demand for used PET bottles is chemically processed now surpassing supply in some areas and has greater pollution impacts reports indicate that some suppliers are buying new bottles to make polyester textile fibre that can be called recycled.14 || • Since the base colour of recycled polyester chips varies, colour inconsistencies in the fabric may occur, and this can lead to the need for re-dyeing. Re-dyeing greatly increases levels of water , energy and airchemicals used.14 • Whites can also be difficult to achieve in recycled fibres, and some processors use chlorine-based bleaches to whiten the base fabric. The dyeing and bleaching process for recycled fabrics involves standard industry chemicals.
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| '''Promote the use of linen from bamboo products.Chemical recycling''' || Once the fibre is extracted • Slows depletion of non-renewable resources• Generates fewer CO2 emissions than virgin polyester • Diverts textile waste from the stem, processing bamboo into landfills • Creates a completely new yarn for linen is largely mechanicalof equal strength and quality to virgin polyester, with minimal environmental impactin perpetuity. || |- | '''Promote the use of ozone bleaching processes • Difficult to strip out the natural beige colour of linen (from flax)label, collect, sort and purify discarded polyester garments on a large scale. <br /><br />Promote the particular aesthetic of ozone bleach effects.''' || Ozone can • Some fabrics with chemical backing, lamination, finish or those used be in complex blends with no water at allother synthetics are not chemically recyclable. 14|| Ozone has limited availability, and is relatively expensive since it requires investment in ozone generating equipment. <br /><br />Ozone processes produce a different aesthetic than chlorine derivative or permanganate bleaching• Uses significant amounts of energy.
|}