Recycled polyester (rPET)
Also known as: rPET, PES recycled, GRS polyester, Recycled polyester (rPET)
Polyester fibre from recycled PET (bottles or textile waste) — functionally identical, ecologically more favourable than virgin material.
Description
Recycled polyester (rPET) is a chemical fibre obtained from recycled polyethylene terephthalate. Feedstock sources are mainly used PET bottles (mechanical recycling) and, increasingly, textile waste and production scraps (chemical recycling / depolymerisation to monomers).
In the mechanical process, bottles are sorted, washed, ground into flakes, melted and spun into new filaments. Chemical processes break down PET at monomer level and thus enable true circularity without quality loss. Compared to virgin material, rPET saves about 30 to 50 % energy and significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
- Feedstock: PET bottles, textile waste
- Functionally identical to virgin PES
- Significantly lower energy and CO2 footprint
- Certifiable to Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Key certificates are the Global Recycled Standard (Textile Exchange), the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and Bluesign. rPET is today a standard material in sustainable sports, outdoor and fashion collections.
Properties
| Base fibre | Polyester (PET) |
|---|---|
| Feedstock | PET bottles, textile waste |
| CO2 savings vs. virgin | approx. 30–50 % |
| Certifications | GRS, RCS, Bluesign |
Related product categories
Sources & references
3- Textile Exchange Global Recycled Standard Textile Exchange https://textileexchange.org/standards/global-recycled-standard/
- Bluesign bluesign technologies ag https://www.bluesign.com/
- OEKO-TEX OEKO-TEX Association https://www.oeko-tex.com/
