Teijin Fibers Limited announced today a program in the marine clothing industry for collecting and recycling used garments, launched in collaboration with Henri Lloyd, a major global brand of marine apparel based in the United Kingdom. Recycling will be carried out with Teijin’s Eco Circle, an environmentally friendly closed-loop system incorporating technology for the chemical recycling of polyester, which was introduced in 2002.

Teijin Fibers’ Eco Storm, a recyclable, waterproof and breathable material made from recycled fibres laminated with a highly durable thin polyester film, will be incorporated in sailing wear featured in Henri Lloyd’s 2010 Blue Eco Range. The inaugural line up will include the Blue Eco Jacket and Hi Fit trousers, both of which are windproof, waterproof and highly breathable. The Blue Eco products will be available in Henri Lloyd’s own stores and its wholesale account network in the UK as well as the USA, Australia, across Europe and Japan.

Under the program, Henri Lloyds Blue Eco partners will accept these garments from their customers after they are worn out, from where they will be sent to Teijin Fibers’ Matsuyama plant in Japan. After chemical decomposition, they will be converted into polyester raw material offering purity comparable to that derived from petroleum, Teijin says. The raw material will then be turned into high-quality Eco CircleFibers, which will be used to manufacture new recyclable products.

According to Teijin, repeated recycling achieved with the Eco Circle system significantly reduces both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based processes that are used to produce polyester.

“Eco Storm is the world's first recyclable, high-performance waterproof and breathable material made of recycled fibres. As it is made of polyester, Eco Storm can be recycled with Eco Circle. With excellent hydrostatic resistance and moisture permeability, Eco Storm is ideal for sailing apparel, outdoor gear and uniforms”, a spokesperson for Teijin said.

Blue Eco is the start of Henri Lloyd’s commitment to develop more environmentally friendly apparel and further developments are expected.

 “We are very pleased that Henri Lloyd, a leader in technical marine clothing, has joined our Eco Circle program to help advance environmental protection,” said Norio Kamei, President and CEO of Teijin Fibers Limited. “Eco Circle is an innovative system that employs unprecedented chemical recycling technology to enable repeatable recycling of used products with no qualitative deterioration. We are delighted with the launch of Blue Eco Range and look forward to working closely with Henri Lloyd to contribute to recycling-oriented sustainability.”

Talking about effects of these products Paul Strzelecki, Joint Chief Executive of Henri Lloyd said: “This is a positive first step on a long journey to become a more environmentally friendly company. It is also a very exciting time, particularly with our exclusive marine wear association with Teijin who are pioneers in this field. We not only aim to significantly reduce CO2 emissions into the environment but also want to provide our customers with an opportunity to actively participate in the mission to help preserve our oceans. We look forward to further developments in this area, and hope the ‘infinite loop’ recycling system will set the course for the future of marine clothing manufacturing.”

Going forward, Teijin Fibers will continue to expand the presence of its products and technologies around the world, including the Eco Circle recycling program, which now has more than 120 participating companies.

The Henri Lloyd Blue Eco Jacket received ‘Most ECO-Friendly Product Certificate’ at the 2009 DAME Award, which was announced on November 17 at the METS (Marine Equipment Trade Show) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.