Hyosung TNC is launching its "T2T (Textile-to-Textile) Project," the first of its kind in Korea, to produce textiles by recycling discarded clothing.
On the 15th, Hyosung TNC announced that it has formed a partnership with Loop Industries, Inc. (hereinafter Loop), a Canadian T2T PET chip specialist, in order to produce "regenTM T2T" fibers at its Gumi plant in the fourth quarter of this year.
T2T is a textile circular recycling system that recycles discarded clothing into PET chips, the pre-stage raw material for polyester fibers, which are then processed into fibers. While existing recycled fibers primarily utilize waste PET bottles, T2T is accepted as a next-generation technology that recycles clothing itself into clothing.
The proliferation of fast fashion generates roughly 92 million tons of discarded fibers worldwide each year, yet the recycling rate is only 12%, with less than 1% being reused as clothing. T2T is garnering attention as an alternative that can overcome these limitations and dramatically increase the proportion of recycled fibers.
Hyosung TNC's "regenTM T2T," showcased by this T2T Project, will represent a proactive response to changes in the global eco-friendly fiber market and become a core product that leads a new paradigm shift in circular fashion. The recycled fiber market is currently valued at roughly KRW 23 trillion and is expected to reach roughly KRW 75 trillion by 2030 at an average annual growth rate of 12.5%.
Hyosung TNC CEO Kim Chi-hyung affirmed, "Hyosung TNC will make tangible strides as a leading provider in the next-generation global recycled fiber market through this T2T Project, and thus lead the sustainable fashion ecosystem alongside global retail brands, extending beyond the fossil fuel-based recycled fiber market."
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Giovanni Catino of Loop underscored, "We keenly look forward to partnering with Hyosung TNC, a leader in the eco-friendly recycled fiber market. This collaboration will mark a turning point in establishing a stable supply chain for high-quality fiber raw materials."
Meanwhile, Hyosung TNC and Loop will jointly host a T2T value chain building seminar at the "Première Vision" exhibition in Paris, France, from September 16 to 18, introducing a new eco-friendly circular fashion model to the global market.
