In 2024, global total fiber output reached 132 million tons, with recycled fiber holding a stable 7.6% market share at about 9.95 million tons; of this, China's recycled polyester output was about 5.77 million tons, accounting for 61.9% of the global 9.32 million tons of recycled polyester. Backed by breakthroughs in T2T chemical recycling, enzymatic hydrolysis and other processes, as well as the implementation of policies such as the Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles, domestically produced recycled fibers are expanding from low-end filling materials to high-end apparel, home textiles and automotive interiors.

Key Points

  • In 2024, global recycled fiber output was about 9.95 million tons, accounting for 7.6% of the 132 million tons of total fiber output, of which recycled polyester was 9.32 million tons, representing 11.9% of all polyester output.
  • China's recycled polyester output in 2024 was about 5.77 million tons, accounting for 61.9% of global output; UN Environment Programme data show that the world generates about 92 million tons of textile waste each year, with a recycling rate of only 1%.
  • The Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Fiber Product Quality and the mandatory national standard General Technical Requirements for Wadding Fiber Products will take effect on July 1, 2026; Anhui Xindengli has already built a 100,000-ton-scale T2T chemical recycling industrialization system.

Global Landscape: Recycled Fiber Volume Remains Stable, Textile Waste Recycling Rate Still Low

According to the 2025 Material Market Report released by Textile Exchange, global total fiber output in 2024 was 132 million tons, with recycled fiber taking a 7.6% share at about 9.95 million tons. Recycled polyester remains the main category of recycled fiber, with global output of 9.32 million tons that year, accounting for 11.9% of total polyester output.

The resource utilization of textile waste is a common global challenge. UN Environment Programme data show that the world generates about 92 million tons of textile waste each year, with a recycling rate of only 1%, most of which is disposed of through landfill or incineration. The significance of the recycled fiber industry lies in connecting the chain of "waste recycling—regeneration processing—end-use application" and improving the resource utilization level of textile solid waste.

China's Share: Recycled Polyester Output Accounts for About 60% of the Global Total

China is a major producer and consumer of recycled fibers worldwide. Based on calculations from the 2024 annual industry report of the China Chemical Fibers Association, China's recycled polyester output in 2024 was about 5.77 million tons, accounting for 61.9% of global output. A well-developed industrial chain and leading scale place China in a key position in the global textile circular economy.

Recycled fibers use waste textiles, discarded PET plastic bottles, waste silk and other materials as raw materials and are processed through physical, chemical, enzymatic hydrolysis and other processes. The main categories include recycled polyester, recycled cellulose fibers and recycled nylon.

Technology Pathways: Chemical Recycling Moves Toward 10,000-Ton Scale, Enzymatic Hydrolysis Enters Pilot Testing

Breakthroughs by domestic enterprises in recycling processes continue to narrow the quality gap between recycled fibers and virgin fibers. Anhui Xindengli independently developed T2T chemical recycling technology, which can achieve molecular-level recycling and remanufacturing of waste clothing. It has built a 100,000-ton-scale industrialization system and handles more than 12,000 tons of waste textiles annually. Compared with traditional petroleum-based production processes, this technology can reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption by 60% to 85%.

Industrial chain integration and biotechnology applications are advancing in parallel. Peipu Technology Group has built a complete chain from waste resource recycling and recycled chip preparation to finished filament production. Its FixDye eco-friendly recycled polyester filament adopts direct spinning technology, reducing energy consumption and emissions in the dyeing and finishing stage from the source, and its products are used in apparel, home textiles and other fields. Enzymatic hydrolysis technology has become a key focus of industry R&D. Peipu Technology, together with Donghua University and Jiangnan University, is advancing pilot testing of enzymatic regeneration technology and plans to build a 10,000-ton production line.

Institutional Safeguards: Policy Goals and Mandatory National Standards Implemented Successively

The Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles, jointly issued by multiple national departments, set development goals for the recycling rate of waste textiles and recycled fiber output for 2025 and 2030. The Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Fiber Product Quality and the mandatory national standard General Technical Requirements for Wadding Fiber Products, revised and issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation, will officially take effect on July 1, 2026, using coordinated regulation and standards to standardize industry order and improve product quality.

Driven by both policy and market forces, regional industrial clusters are taking shape at an accelerated pace: the Jiangsu Hongze Economic Development Zone focuses on new fiber materials, improves industrial chain layout and cultivates leading enterprises; Anhui Jinzhai, relying on its advantages in chemical recycling technology, has built a large-scale T2T circular industrial system.

Applications and Outlook: Expanding from Low-End Filling to High-Value-Added Fields

With the spread of green consumption concepts, the application of recycled fibers is expanding from traditional low-end filling to high-end apparel, premium home textiles, automotive interiors, new building materials and other directions. Brands such as France's Kiabi continue to strengthen cooperation with domestic enterprises, promoting eco-friendly textile products through traceability systems, and the international market layout of domestically produced recycled fibers is broadening accordingly.

Experts from the China Fiber Quality Monitoring Center point out that recycled fibers are an important path for improving the resource utilization rate of textile solid waste and promoting the industry's green and low-carbon transition; at present, the industry still faces issues such as an incomplete raw material traceability system, high costs for scaling up new technologies and market awareness that needs improvement, requiring continued collaborative innovation among industry, academia and research, and improvement of recycling networks and quality standard systems. Industry analysis suggests that with technological iteration, policy improvement and the release of green demand, China's recycled fiber industry will shift from scale expansion to quality upgrading and, relying on a complete industrial chain and technological advantages, continue to influence the direction of the global textile circular economy.

Source: Technological Iteration Activates Circular Economy: Domestic Recycled Fibers Underpin a New Pattern of Green Transition in the Textile Industry · Originally published on 2026-05-07