EMERYVILLE, Calif., June 11, 2026 /3BL/ – Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world — but the environmental data needed to fully understand its production has been incomplete. Today, Textile Exchange and SCS Consulting Services released a life cycle assessment (LCA) designed to close that gap, providing new publicly available data on virgin polyester produced in Southeast Asia and recycled polyester production in China, Europe, and the United States.
Virgin polyester is widely used because of its low cost, durability, and versatility. However, its production depends on fossil-based inputs and is associated with GHG emissions, air and water pollution, and other environmental impacts. It is also not biodegradable, and can persist in the environment for decades. While a small percentage of textile waste is reused or recycled, most of it is incinerated or landfilled. Recycling is one important strategy for reducing these impacts by diverting textile waste from landfill or incineration and decreasing demand for virgin fossil-based polyester production.
LCA studies are a universal tool used to assess the environmental impacts of material production — but their reliability depends on the quality and representativeness of the underpinning data. Publicly available data has remained limited for thermomechanical and chemical polyester recycling, as well as for virgin polyester production in Asia, which produces over half of the world’s polyester. Inspired by a prior SCS study for the UN Fashion Industry Charter that identified these gaps, this study provides the first known publicly available primary data on virgin polyester production in Asia, along with updated data on thermomechanical recycling and emerging chemical recycling technologies.
Beth Jensen, Chief Impact Officer at Textile Exchange, said: “We are pleased to have worked with SCS Consulting Services on this LCA study, which marks a significant update to existing polyester LCA data and advances our understanding of the impacts of its production for the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. By addressing known data gaps across both virgin and recycled polyester, and by identifying major hotspot impact areas, these findings create a stronger foundation for making informed decisions that support the shift toward preferred production systems.”
Key findings include:
- No single recycling technology is a silver bullet. Thermomechanical recycling is generally less resource-intensive but requires relatively clean, high-quality input materials. Chemical recycling can handle more complex and contaminated waste streams but is more energy and chemical-intensive, and encompasses a wide range of technologies designed for different waste types. Scaling textile circularity will require a portfolio of approaches.
- Continued collaboration across the value chain to improve sorting and preprocessing technologies will be essential to scaling post-consumer textile recycling. Commercial-scale chemical recycling currently focuses primarily on post-industrial waste due to the sorting and logistical challenges associated with post-consumer polyester waste.
- Electricity consumption is a primary driver of environmental impacts across all polyester production systems. A sensitivity analysis found that switching to a renewable energy mix can substantially reduce climate impact, while reliance on coal-intensive grids can significantly increase impact.
- Across all recycling systems, transportation distances for collecting textile wastes can meaningfully influence environmental performance, making local sourcing a viable strategy for reducing overall impact.
- Data gaps have long limited the accuracy of LCA modeling and sustainability decision-making across the polyester industry. This is the first known publicly available LCA data on virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production (melt, chip, and staple fiber) from Southeast Asia.
The underlying data will be made available through Ecoinvent and other industry databases to support more robust LCA-based decision-making across the sector.
“This study builds directly on work SCS conducted for the UN Fashion Industry Charter, which made clear that the industry needed better data to make more informed decisions,” said Keith Killpack, Technical Director, SCS Consulting Services. “By making this primary data publicly available, we’re giving brands, suppliers, and policymakers a shared foundation to work from — one that reflects the actual diversity of how polyester is produced around the world.”
The research was conducted in accordance with ISO 14044 standards and follows the requirements of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, with primary data collected from seven facilities — including three chemical recycling operations, three thermomechanical recycling operations, and one virgin PET producer — between 2022 and 2024. The report also includes a supplementary social assessment examining human rights risks across polyester supply chains.
The full report, Life Cycle Assessment of Virgin and Recycled Polyester Production Systems, is available here: https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/polyester-life-cycle-assessment/
About Textile Exchange
Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving beneficial impact on climate and nature across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. It guides a growing community of brands, manufacturers, and farmers towards more purposeful production right from the start of the supply chain.
Its goal is to help the industry achieve a 45% reduction in the emissions that come from producing fibers and raw materials by 2030. To get there, it is keeping its focus holistic and interconnected, accelerating the adoption of practices that improve the state of our water, soil health, and biodiversity too.
For real change to happen, everyone needs a clear path to beneficial impact. That’s why Textile Exchange believes that approachable, step-by-step instruction paired with collective action can change the system to make preferred materials and fibers an accessible default, mobilizing leaders through attainable strategies, proven solutions, and a driven community.
At Textile Exchange, materials matter. To learn more, visit textileexchange.org.
About SCS Consulting Services
SCS Consulting Services helps companies implement transformative sustainability solutions that drive meaningful change. Our experts leverage over four decades of deep experience in sustainability and an unwavering commitment to scientific rigor, credibility, and transparency. We work closely with clients to navigate the rapidly changing climate and business environment. We offer dozens of services including climate strategy, food safety, sustainable finance, emissions accounting and reporting, sustainability reporting, sustainable supply chains, ESG management, due diligence, and regulatory compliance services. SCS Consulting Services is the independent sustainability consulting arm of the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) organization.
Media Contact
Rachel Barnhart
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations
SCS Global Services
Email: rbarnhart@scsglobalservices.com
