Taiwan spins yarn from PET bottles

In a bid to promote green environment, Taiwan Eco Textiles encourages textile manufacturers to use Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

The environmental edge of PET bottle polyester fibres is that they are recyclable, according to Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India Executive Director (Economic Division) Guann-Jyh Lee.

Lee was in the City to be part of the two-day Taiwan Textile Fair. The fair is organised by Taiwan Textile Federation, supported by the Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA), and the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).

Lee explains, “The journey where drinking water bottles turn into beautiful dresses starts from the recycle bin around the corner of the neighbourhood. Once the bottles are collected and then crushed, they will be made into staple fibres for spinning, or into filament yarns for weaving, and then are ready for end-product applications.”

According to the Environmental Protection Administration, 90,000 tonnes of PET bottles are reclaimed every year in Taiwan, which are equivalent to 4.5 billion drinking water bottles.

The production of recycled PET bottle textiles in Taiwan benefits from a thorough reclamation scheme. Consumers are encouraged to recollect used bottles, and there are over 67,000 religious and environmental volunteers in the whole island devoted to reclaiming resources from waste.

Lee claimed, “With a complete and comprehensive production system, Taiwan is the kingdom of polyester textiles.” The production and application of recycled PET bottle polyester fibers are optimised with the upstream spinning technologies for functionality, micronisation and compound effects, and the downstream finishing technologies of weaving, dyeing, coating and lamination.

Taiwan's position as the most reliable source for functional and ecological textiles was further proved at various international sporting event such as 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, where many teams wore jerseys made from recycled PET bottle textiles developed by Taiwanese textile companies.

Taiwan Textile Federation Overseas Market Specialist Sean Tsai said, “This time we are showcasing Taiwan's innovative and value-added fibres, yarns, fabrics, trimmings, and apparels. Industry is moving up the value chain and to ensure this movement, we are focused on introducing a new range with a stronger focus on knitted and functional textiles.”