Teijin Fibers Limited of Japan has developed a new polyester fabric called Eco Storm that is waterproof and moisture permeable. The fabric is made from recycled fibers and is part of Tejin's innovative Eco Circle closed-loop recycling process.
Made entirely from polyester, it can be recycled into new fibers with the Eco Circle recycling system after used products are collected. Eco Storm is a revolutionary material featuring a sophisticated combination of unprecedented comfort and environmental friendliness.
The company expects Eco Storm to find growing demand, chiefly from eco-conscious sporting apparel manufacturers based in Japan and abroad, government offices that are required to make green purchases and other companies oriented to environmental considerations for uniform and rain gear applications.
A number of clothing companies participate in Tejin's Eco Circle including MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op), a Canadian company I am a big fan of. MEC takes back used products from their customers through garment recycling bins in their stores. Garments with that still show signs of life are donated. The remaining products are sent to Teijin, where they are reprocessed into new fibers through Eco Circle™. In this process, garments are crushed, turned into granules, then run through a chemical reaction process that removes dyes and other chemicals before turning it back into raw polyester (polyester polymer), then new Eco Circle fibers like Eco Storm.
Several companies including MEC, Patagonia and NAU are using Eco Cicle fabrics in their current product lines. Tejin is currently working with some 70 participating apparel manufacturers and sporting gear manufacturers as part of Eco Circle.
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