#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-11-26

New blue loan to help Indorama Ventures recycle 50 billion PET bottles a year by 2025

The first-ever blue loan to a global plastic resin manufacturer will lead to the recycling of 50 billion PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles globally a year by 2025 including four countries in Asia and one in Latin America, diverting plastic waste from landfills and oceans.

The landmark $300 million financing package has been arranged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for Indorama Ventures Global Services Limited (IVGS), a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a leading global manufacturer and recycler of PET resin. The funding will help IVL increase its recycling capacity in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, and Brazil—countries which are grappling with mismanaged waste and serious plastic waste in the environment—and invest in renewable energy and resource efficiency projects. This marks IFC’s first blue loan exclusively focused on addressing marine plastic pollution. A Blue Loan is an innovative instrument whereby the funds raised are certified and tracked exclusively for projects that support a Blue Economy – i.e. sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.

“We are honored to receive the first blue loan from IFC,” said Yashovardhan Lohia, Chief Sustainability Officer, Indorama Ventures. “Our company, IVL, is building the recycling infrastructure needed to divert waste from the marine environment. By recycling post-consumer PET bottles into new bottles, we give waste an economic value. This drives improvements in waste collection systems, meaning less waste and cleaner oceans.”

Indorama Ventures is aiming for a minimum of 750,000 metric tons of recycled PET (rPET) globally by 2025. A key feature of the investment is to create value out of waste—processing post-consumer PET bottles that would have ended up in landfill or been processed into lower-value products—by promoting higher-value bottle-to-bottle recycling which brings significant value generating potential.

“We are pleased to work with IVL, a global leader in PET manufacturing and recycling, to develop scalable solutions to one of the most pervasive and visible issues threatening life under water,” said Alfonso Garcia Mora, IFC Vice President for Asia and Pacific. “This blue loan complements IFC's ongoing work on a circular economy for plastics and enhanced waste management in Asia. It demonstrates that recycling can be an effective intervention to address plastic waste while supporting our overall sustainability and climate change agenda.”

Besides helping IVL increase its recycling capacities in five countries, the loan will also help the company invest in other climate-related activities. IVL will install more solar panels at facilities in Thailand and India with other sites to follow, while also securing more renewable energy for its manufacturing facilities. With IFC financing, IVL is working on a Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) project at its PET and fiber manufacturing facility in Indonesia where energy efficiency (EE) measures are expected to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by as much as 25 percent. In addition to developing innovative WHR projects, IVL will be developing EE projects in Brazil and other manufacturing facilities to meet its corporate targets.

IFC’s financing package comprises a $150 million senior loan from IFC and parallel loans of $150 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG). IFC is also working closely with the World Bank to leverage public-private sector collaboration and develop policies and investments critical to systematically address the complex marine plastic pollution problem.

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

Modtissimo is proving more and more to be a textile and clothing show that delivers the latest innovations in the area of sustainability, with the iTechStyle Green Circle being the main showcase for companies' creations. In this 60+4 edition, taking place on 12 and 13 September, 28 coordinates will be exhibited in a section organised by CITEVE and curated by Paulo Gomes.

The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt

At the EU-Egypt Investment Conference, co-organised by the EU and the Government of Egypt on 29-30 June, the EU and Egypt are teaming up to intensify private sector investments in Egypt. They are also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the disbursement to Egypt of up to €1 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance.

Reju announces site selection for first U.S. industrial sized facility regeneration hub in Rochester, New York

Reju, the textile-to-textile regeneration company, today announced it has selected the site for its first U.S.-based industrial facility marking a significant milestone in its efforts to scale globally. This future Regeneration Hub will be in Rochester, New York, reinforcing Reju’s commitment to the adoption of circular textile system across key regions worldwide.

Sustainable, lightweight, and sound absorbing: Polyester-based front trunk solution for BEVs

As car manufacturers look to further reduce their carbon footprint, Autoneum has developed an innovative front trunk solution for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), made entirely from polyester-based textile. The Ultra-Silent Frunk offers significant weight reduction, improved acoustic and thermal insulation, and uses up to 70 percent recycled material, supporting sustainable and efficient vehicle design. Autoneum, global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management for vehicles, has already received orders for the new frunk from three major OEMs in Asia and Europe to be built in three BEV models. Series production for two BEVs has been underway in China and Germany since last year.

Modern testing methods for raw cotton

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen will take place from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Bremen Parliament. This conference has traditionally stood for in-depth expertise and international exchange. The program will focus on technical innovations, market trends, and regulatory frameworks across the entire value chain – from agriculture to the circular economy. With high-profile speakers, the conference is regarded as the key meeting point for the global cotton industry. Today’s focus: Cotton quality and testing methods.

Rieter responds to higher raw material prices

Global political and economic developments have been leading to rising raw material and energy costs for some time. The textile machinery industry is also affected by this trend. Rieter machines and components consist to a large extent of steel, copper, aluminum and electronics. These materials in particular have seen higher demand and higher prices in recent months.