2022 Great Practice - Far Eastern New Century
2022-11-17
Far Eastern New Century - Breakthrough in Recycling Technology
The World’s First Waste-Gas-Based Polyester
Far Eastern New Century Corporation (FENC) leads the world’s polyester and textile industries, and the Company has demonstrated leadership by introducing a slew of innovations. It is currently the world’s second largest supplier of recycled PET (rPET), a green material made of waste PET bottles from the land and ocean. In 2021, FENC took its green innovation one step further by delivering the world’s first waste-gas-based polyester, which was made from industrial emissions. The innovation not only reduces carbon emissions, it is a pioneering solution to achieving the global vision of carbon reduction. Turning industrial emissions into apparel products was a breakthrough the world had never seen before. In 2021, FENC formed collaborations with the athletic apparel retailer, lululemon, fast fashion giant, ZARA, and biotech company, LanzaTech, and created the world’s first waste-gas-based apparel with industrial emissions recycled from steel mills. This green innovation was recognized by winning the ISPO Textrends Awards “Best Product” and International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) “Sustainability & Innovation Awards” in 2022. FENC applied its proprietary recycling technology and vertically integrated supply chain, turning waste emissions into recycled polyester and ultimately waste-gas-based polyester. This innovation cuts GHG emissions by 30% while giving waste-gas-based polyester the same physical properties, quality and applications as its virgin counterpart, which is of petroleum origin. In the future, applications will be expanded beyond apparel products to include industrial textiles and polyester packaging to charter a new path to sustainable development for the industry.