The "Zhejiang Made" group standard for "Chemically Recycled Polyester Low-Elasticity Yarn," drafted under the leadership of Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials Co., Ltd., has passed provincial expert review and been officially implemented. This is the first "Zhejiang Made" standard in the field of chemically recycled fibers. The standard covers terminology and definitions, product identification, basic requirements, technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, marking, packaging, transportation, storage, and quality commitments, aiming to promote the recycling and reuse of waste textiles, reduce dependence on petroleum resources, and advance energy conservation and emissions reduction.

Key Points

  • The "Chemically Recycled Polyester Low-Elasticity Yarn" standard led by Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials passed provincial review and was implemented in 2018, making it the first "Zhejiang Made" standard in the chemically recycled fiber field.
  • Jiaren New Materials currently recycles approximately 33,000 tons of waste polyester textiles annually, with an annual recycled fiber production capacity of 25,000 tons.
  • Using recycled antimony-free polyester chips can eliminate heavy metal antimony pollution at the raw material stage and increase industry chain profits by 5% to 10%.

In Doumen Subdistrict, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, the production workshop of Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials Co., Ltd. operates continuously. Waste polyester clothing materials are crushed and decomposed to the molecular level here, then processed through melting, polymerization, and other procedures to produce new polyester fibers, which are ultimately used in the production of fabric for new clothing, achieving "old clothes reborn."

Chemical fiber fabric is one of the main raw materials for clothing, mostly made from petroleum, and does not easily degrade naturally. Since its founding in 2012, Jiaren New Materials has been researching and establishing a "polyester chemical recycling system." After years of investment, it has mastered mature chemical recycling technology, using waste textiles as raw materials to produce recycled fiber fabrics, reducing environmental pollution from textile waste and forming a green cycle.

Lin Hui, director of the company's general office, explained using recycled antimony-free polyester chip raw materials as an example: in the past, fabrics would release heavy metal antimony during the dyeing and printing process, causing environmental pollution; by adopting recycled antimony-free polyester chips for production according to the new standard, the presence of antimony can be eliminated at the raw material stage, promoting green development of the industry chain while increasing profits by 5% to 10%.

In terms of scale, Jiaren New Materials recycles approximately 33,000 tons of waste polyester textiles annually, with an annual recycled fiber production capacity of 25,000 tons, making it one of the world's largest chemically recycled fiber enterprises.

The implementation of this standard provides unified technical and quality criteria for chemically recycled fibers, helping the recycling and reuse of waste textiles move from enterprise practice toward standardization and scale, and serving as a demonstration for reducing petroleum dependence and advancing green industrial transformation.

Source: Giving Old Clothes a Second Life: Zhejiang Enterprise Leads Innovation in Waste Textile Recycling_CNR · Originally published on 2018-10-17