Geneva (October 15, 2025) – SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has published a bluesign Consumer Compact article examining the key trends, market drivers, regulatory challenges and innovative solutions impacting the use of polyester and recycling in the textile industry.
By 2030, it is estimated that 67% of global fiber production will be polyester. However, only 1% of polyester is recycled into new textiles, with the majority incinerated, landfilled or downcycled.
In many markets, the traditional life cycle of ‘take, make, discard’ is being replaced by circular economy principles that emphasize recycling and resource efficiency. Polyester is currently recycled either mechanically or chemically. Each process has advantages and disadvantages, but with the need to create a true circular economy, advanced, carefully managed chemical recycling offers the clearest path to scalable, clean circularity.
SGS’s Consumer Compact article provides an overview of the issues around polyester use, the advantages and disadvantages of different recycling techniques, and the support bluesign offers to forward-thinking companies looking to leverage opportunities created by the shift toward circular economies.
Read the original Consumer Compact article, ‘Closing the Loop in Polyester Textiles’
bluesign solutions
bluesign, an SGS company, supports brands in eliminating hazardous substances in their supply chains, optimizing resource efficiency and ensuring textiles are safe for both workers and consumers. Services for advancing polyester recycling include chemical management assessment, purification system verification, emissions and wastewater monitoring and chemical compliance and consumer safety assessments.
Learn more about chemical recycling and clean circularity.
Discover bluesign solutions.
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For more information, please contact:
Daniel Waterkamp
Head of bluesign Academy
Tel: +41 71 272 29 90
Website: www.bluesign.com
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We operate a network of over 2,700 laboratories and business facilities across 119 countries, supported by a team of 99,250 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, safety and compliance.
Our brand promise, when you need to be sure, underscores our commitment to reliability, integrity and trust — enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH0002497458, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).