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Japan's Kobe Steel and a textile trading firm Chori have succeeded
in turning used PET bottles into spunbound nonwoven material. Spunbound
nonwovens are used in the manufacture of disposable diapers, wrapping
paper, filter material and in soil separation and erosion control
applications. The recycling process begins when polyster chips,
derived from recycled PET bottles, are sent from Chori to Kobe Steel's
spunbound facility in Harima, Japan where they are melted and spun
into a filament. The collected filament is then rolled under heat
and pressure into a spunbound sheet. These sheets are returned to
Chori where they are subject to further processing before being
marketed under the 'Petfab' brand name. According to Kobe Steel,
Petfab exhibits similar strength, uniformity, processability and
heat resistance as virgin polyester. It is sold primarily to domestic
market manufacturers and is priced in the same range as regular
nonwoven polyesters. Chori attributes the development of Petfab
to increased environmental awareness and sees the reuse of PET bottles
as a way of growing its material recycling business. According to
Japan's Council for PET bottle recycling, more PET bottles are being
recycled in the country than five years ago.
| (Source: Asian Plastics
News - September 2000) |
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