Japan’s Repeat has signed an agreement to license its chemical recycling technology for polyester products to Zhejiang Jianxin Jiaren New Materials, as the world's first company to be licensed by Repeat. Repeat is a company engaged in licensing business based on technology for chemical recycling of polyester products.

Repeat is a joint venture established last month by Teijin, JGC Holdings Corporation and ITOCHU Corporation to license recycling technology based on Teijin’s expertise in dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), JGC’s expertise for general engineering in plant construction, and ITOCHU’s global network spanning diverse industries. Zhejiang Jianxin, established in 2022, is a member of the Jinggong Holding group, which operates businesses in China focused on environmental management in the steel, textile, building materials and beverage sectors. Under the group, there is Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials, who specialises in operating chemical-recycling plants, the company said in a media statement.

Repeat will provide a technology that uses the organic compound DMT for the chemical decomposition, conversion and then repolymerisation of polyester (PET). Zhejiang Jianxin will use the technology in a polyester-product recycling plant it plans to start up in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province next year.

Repeat supports the implementation of resource-recovery mechanisms (ecosystems) for the recycling of polyester products to help reduce CO2 emissions in both the manufacture and eventual disposal of polyester clothing. The company is also working to reduce the environmental impact of its own supply chain to contribute to a more sustainable world.