Arvind Limited announced a joint venture with PurFi Global LLC, a sustainable technology company in the U.S. specializing in “rejuvenating” textile waste into virgin quality products.
The two companies will construct the first in a series of planned “fiber rejuvenation” facilities near one of Arvind’s manufacturing facilities in India.
Unlike the traditional “one-and-done” recycling processes, Ashish Kumar, Arvind Limited president and CEO, said PurFi’s technology can rejuvenate waste materials into virgin-like fibers 17 times, and it can be done at scale. “Working together, we believe we can lead the textile and fashion industries into a new era of sustainable practices, transforming textile manufacturing into a truly closed loop cycle,” he said.
The new facility will process textile waste (white cotton, colored cotton, denim and synthetics) into virgin-like fibers for reuse from two onsite production lines. Each production line will have a 5,500-ton capacity per year with plans to expand over the next five years.
The investment for these two lines is expected to be $25 million to $30 million. Expansion plans include an additional production line that removes synthetic elastomers from fabrics using another of PurFi’s proprietary technologies.
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Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world, accounting for roughly half of the fiber market overall and about 80 percent of all synthetic fibers, according to Textile Exchange’s 2019 Preferred Fiber & Materials Report. PurFi’s technology safely removes elastomers without the use of toxic chemicals and preserves the host fiber while having the ability to recycle the elastomers that were removed.
PurFi said that when compared with manufacturing virgin polyester, nylon or cotton, its fiber manufacturing uses up to 96 percent less water and 90 percent less energy. The process also generates 85 to 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
The joint venture is slated to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2022 with full production expected to start in Q4 2023.
“Partnering with PurFi will enable Arvind to expand on our decades-long commitment to extending sustainable practices into every aspect of our business,” Kumar said.