Green tie-ups: Ambercycle/Hyosung join forces to scale circular polyester; BASF/China BlueChem cooperate on sustainable lab

South Korea’s Hyosung TNC, a sustainable textile solutions provider, is partnering with materials firm Ambercycle to become the first manufacturer in South Korea to introduce a textile-to-textile, circular polyester into supply chains.

The collaboration advances the partners' shared vision of a circular textile ecosystem that repurposes end-of-life products into high-performing fibres for brands looking to curb their environmental impact.

The partnership will tap Hyosung's 58 years of advanced fibre manufacturing capabilities and nearly two decades of experience producing sustainable textiles to support the integration of Ambercycle's circular polyester material, cycora, into brand supply chains.

Based in Los Angeles, Ambercycle is rapidly scaling cycora, a regenerated polyester chip that meets the spinnability standards of virgin materials and is said to outperform other recycled materials, according to testing by the European Center for Innovative Textiles (CETI), a leading research institute. Ambercycle's trailblazing molecular regeneration technology will add to a growing portfolio of circular solutions manufactured by Hyosung TNC, the company behind regen, a recycled fibre brand.

Developed at its R&D centre, Hyosung was the world's first company to develop regen nylon from discarded fishing nets in 2007 and achieved another significant milestone by becoming the first company to globally receive the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification for its recycled regen polyester. The company was also the first to introduce RCS-certified 100% recycled regen spandex in 2020, and USDA, SGS-certified bio-based spandex made from partly renewable resources in 2021.

"The fashion industry is searching for accessible, high-quality circular solutions. This partnership is a testament to that demand and an important step to ramp up the production of cycora and make it easier for brands to source regenerated materials for their fashion lines. We're closely aligned with Hyosung on both our high-quality standards and our commitment to circularity, so we are thrilled to have them as a partner in our commercialisation journey," says Shay Sethi, CEO of Ambercycle.

In other news, German chemical firm BASF and China BlueChemical Ltd recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a joint laboratory. This collaboration aims to establish a joint innovation platform which focuses on the development of sustainable, green, and low-carbon technologies and solutions for the chemical industry.

According to the MoU, BASF and China BlueChem are expected to work together on the development of sustainable technologies in various areas, including CO2 to syngas technology (CO2TS), green methanol and green ammonia applications, generation and purification of green hydrogen, synthesis of green olefins, the oligomerisation and hydrogenation of green olefins to produce sustainable energy carriers (e-fuel, e-SAF).

Both parties will jointly promote the reduction of CO2 emissions and the development of technologies in green energy application as well as strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of sustainable development.

Tang Xiangyang, Vice President/Chief Security Officer of China BlueChem said at the signing ceremony, “China BlueChem adheres to leading by scientific and technological innovation and actively explores green, low-carbon and efficient development path. We are actively expanding cooperation on the principles of ‘having threshold, profit, both long-term and short-term goals, and common control’. BASF, as an important partner of China BlueChem, inaugurates a collaborative journey of scientific and technological innovation through the establishment of the new joint laboratory. This partnership signifies a deepened cooperation in key areas such as the preparation, application and purification of CO2TS, green methanol, green ammonia and green hydrogen, and green fuel and other key areas. The cooperation not only injects a new impetus into green carbon-one chemical technologies but also demonstrates the positive contribution of both parties to promoting the green transformation of the global chemical industry.”

Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President of Process Catalysts, BASF, attended and congratulated the signing ceremony. He said, “BASF helps the chemical industry to transform to low-carbon emission reduction with its leading sustainable solutions for catalysts and adsorbents. We are looking forward to the next step of our collaboration with China BlueChem by establishing a Joint Laboratory as a basis for the development of further sustainable solutions.”

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