When it comes to fibre fragmentation, the existing narrative suggests that recycled polyester fabrics fair worse than those made with virgin polyester. However, Dr Kelly Sheridan, co-author of a recent report from the Microfibre Consortium (TMC), says new research indicates otherwise.
Since 1993 there has been a steady increase in the use of recycled polyester (rPET) due to the increased demand for these fabrics by retailers and brands which, according to the recent TMC technical research report, now means that in 2021 rPET accounted for more than 14% of global PET production, while virgin PET accounted for 54% of global fibre production in the same year.
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