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FEATURES
March 31, 2021
ECONYL®, recycled nylon adopted by renowned brands
ITOCHU | ITOCHU Corporation
Enabling Recycled Nylon of the Same Quality as Virgin Materials
ITOCHU Corporation has entered into a business partnership with Aquafil, the developer of the recycled nylon brand "ECONYL®", to promote and expand nylon circular recycling initiatives.
Text by WASEDA Kosaku (OPENERS)
ECONYL®, Recycled Nylon Adopted by Renowned Brands
As carbon neutrality efforts accelerate globally, improving the recycling rate of petrochemical products is positioned as one of the most critical challenges.
Nylon is used in a wide range of fields as a petroleum-derived chemical fiber and plastic raw material for fashion, carpets, fishing nets, food packaging, and automotive components. However, it is also one of the more difficult materials to recycle, especially when used in composite products with other materials.
ITOCHU Corporation has entered into a business partnership with Aquafil S.p.A., the developer of the world's leading recycled nylon brand "ECONYL®", to promote and expand nylon circular recycling initiatives.
Through its proprietary technology, Aquafil returns nylon waste to its raw material state, caprolactam, via chemical recycling. By completely removing impurities, the company has established a circular recycling system that allows for reuse with the same quality as virgin materials. Production of "ECONYL®", recycled nylon made from waste, began in 2011.
Because "ECONYL®" is recycled entirely from waste, it can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional petroleum-based nylon. As an environmentally conscious material, it has been adopted by over 2,000 renowned brands worldwide, including major fashion brands such as Gucci, Burberry, and Prada.
ITOCHU Corporation is one of the world's largest handlers of caprolactam and nylon chips by volume. This partnership was formed as the direction of ITOCHU Corporation's nylon value chain utilization aligned with Aquafil's ECONYL® business strategy.
Moving forward, ITOCHU will leverage the diverse network of the ITOCHU Group to expand applications globally across various sectors.
Furthermore, plans are underway to establish a scheme for collecting waste nylon from existing sales chains, advancing collaboration from the perspective of ensuring a stable supply of raw materials to Aquafil.
By jointly addressing everything from waste collection to product development and sales, both companies anticipate an expansion of high-value-added nylon circular recycling.
