Textile Exchange and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action have partnered to launch the 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, a joint initiative to further encourage a shift in the market towards the uptake of recycled polyester (rPET) and the associated reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs). Through the 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, the apparel and textile industry is urged to commit to bringing up the percentage of recycled polyester from 14 percent to 45 percent at 17.1 million metric tons by 2025. The Challenge will continue the acceleration that began with the Textile Exchange’s 2017 Recycled Polyester Commitment.

Polyester accounts for around 52 percent of the total volume of fibers produced globally and is the most widely used fiber in the apparel industry. Around 32 million tons of the 57 million tons of polyester used each year are used by the apparel industry. Currently, only around 14 percent of this comes from recycled inputs, mainly from post-consumer PET bottles.

The companies committing to the 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge will be required to annually report their polyester consumption to the Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) survey, which will track progress across all participating brands. Companies do not need to be a member of Textile Exchange to join the Challenge.

Photo: © Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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