2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge targets sustainable transformation

The 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge urges fashion and textile companies to source 45-100 per cent of their polyester from recycled materials by 2025. Launched in April 2021 by Textile Exchange and the UNFCCC’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, the initiative seeks to reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based polyester, not merely substitute other materials or justify industry growth.

By 2024, 121 brands and suppliers joined the challenge, with 28 per cent already meeting their targets. Over half (57 per cent) of the signatories committed to using 100 per cent recycled polyester by 2025, though their combined share of the global apparel polyester market remains modest at 2.6 per cent.

Polyester, derived from fossil fuel-based chemicals, dominates the fashion industry due to its versatility. However, the production process is resource-intensive and environmentally damaging. Current recycled polyester production heavily relies on post-consumer plastic bottles, but Textile Exchange advocates for innovative approaches, such as textile-to-textile recycling and bio-based alternatives like sugarcane-derived polyester.

The challenge emphasizes storytelling to raise consumer awareness about plastic pollution and boost demand for recycled materials. By driving this demand, brands can foster investment in circular solutions, aiming to increase recycled polyester's market share from 14 per cent in 2019 to 45 per cent by 2025.