Recycled polyester tyre cords launched in Europe

23 April 2009, Osaka - Teijin Fibers Limited announced today that its chemically recycled polyester Eco Circle Fibers are now being used in the cords of Toyo Tire & Rubber’s Proxes Ne tyres, which Toyo Tire Europe GmbH introduced to the European market beginning in April 2009. Eco Circle Fibers are marketed under the brand name ECOPET PLUS(r) in Japan

Toyo Tire & Rubber launched Proxes Ne in Japan last December, as special tyres designed for environmentally oriented passenger cars. The company has now expanded its market for this product into Europe. Teijin’s Eco Circle Fibers are being used for the carcasses of the tyres as the world’s first recycled polyester adopted for tyre cords.

Eco Circle Fibers are created through a closed-loop recycling system called Eco Circle, which employs the world’s first chemical recycling technology, developed by Teijin Fibers. With rising interest in the development of ecological products, recycling and carbon dioxide reduction, Teijin’s Eco Circle Fibers have been mainly used for uniforms, sportswear as well as other fashion and sports items such as bags and gloves. Offering the purity of products derived from petroleum, Eco Circle Fibers achieves the demanding performance levels required of tyre cords.

About Eco Circle

Developed by Teijin Fibers, Eco Circle is a closed-loop recycling system for used polyester products. The system employs the world’s first technology for chemical recycling, which chemically decomposes polyester for conversion into new polyester raw materials that offer purity comparable to those derived from petroleum. Teijin Fibers cooperates with over 100 registered apparel and sportswear manufacturers worldwide for the development and manufacture of products made from recyclable materials, as well as to collect and recycle these products at the end of their useful lives. Overseas members include major manufacturers such as Patagonia Inc. in the U.S., Quiksilver in France and Swany America.

About Teijin

Teijin is a global technology-driven group operating in five main fields: synthetic fibres; films and plastics; pharmaceuticals and home health care; trading and retail; and IT and new products. Teijin Limited is listed on the Tokyo and Osaka stock exchanges and has a market capitalization of USD 4.1 billion. The company had consolidated sales of USD 10.3 billion in fiscal 2007, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. Teijin Fibers Limited, the polyester fibre unit of the Teijin Group, researches, manufactures and markets materials and textiles made from polymer and polyester fibres.