Polyester clothes the world
Polyester is produced at a rate of 3-4 Mtpa, and the demand for virgin polyester has increased at a rate of 25 - 30% per year. Less than a third of current production is used for packaging. We need polyester to clothe the world.
Alternative fibre polymers such as nylon and acrylics have seen cost limit growth at scale, while natural alternatives like cotton cannot be produced in large enough volumes to meet demand.
Polyester’s environmental footprint is competitive with alternatives, and it has the best recycling credentials of any polymer.
Bio-based plastics?
The industry is exploring new technologies, but change will come slowly, and scale will be the most significant barrier to overcome.
Bio-based plastics such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF) remain relatively unproven, and will not be in a position to compete economically until they can be produced at industrial scale.
While the industry searches for other options, it is likely that crude oil based raw materials will remain the norm at least the next 10-15 years.
With no real viable alternatives, we need to get better at using and disposing of these materials more responsibly to protect our environment.
At the 2018 Living with Plastic Packaging conference, we explained the economics of polyester and why the industry’s scale makes it difficult to find viable replacements. Fill in the form on this page to download a copy of the presentation slides.
