Polyester

India’s retail and ecommerce sectors are abuzz with what’s going to be the impact of the Reliance-Shein combine on the overall landscape, and how it is eventually going to play out. A texfash.com analysis.

A year-long collaborative engagement, orchestrated by innovation platform Fashion for Good, will see three top brands coming together to prototype Kintra Fibers’ biodegradable polyester that promises reduction of fossil fuel-based synthetics and closer to the goal to be Climate Positive by 2025.

Korean scientists are working to build multi-scale facilities for the chemical recycling of clothing waste, especially polyester, which can then be used as clean feedstock as the sorting method eliminates most organic impurities including intractable dyes.

A Convergence Accelerator is funding research on ways to reduce recalcitrant textile waste and develop new materials made from renewable resources.

As synthetic fibres represent over two-thirds (69%) of textiles, a share that is projected to skyrocket in the future, they have become a huge cause of fashion’s ongoing waste crisis, which shows no sign of dwindling. And, instead of phasing out their addiction to synthetics, fashion brands are turning to greenwashing tactics.

Away from petroleum-based fabrics, comes an innovation — a fibre made from polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic made from corn, under the brand name Highlact. Could it be the best material to replace polyester in terms of quality, cost and supply? texfash.com explores.

Polyester is not going away from India any time soon, especially in the context of it being the fibre that is seen as the one answer that the country has to overtake China in the textiles-apparel business. This was reinforced when Reliance Industries Limited, the country’s biggest textiles player, announced the company plans to invest ₹750 billion (roughly $9.41) in its oil-to-chemical (O2C) business over the next five years to expand capacities in polyester and vinyl verticals. A texfash.com analysis.