An innovative alternative to traditional polyester, has been launched by Celys that offers the versatility of fashion’s favourite fibre, but is also fully compostable.
Celys is an innovative new, commercially compostable polyester that blends the benefits of the traditional fibre with technology that means it can be biodegraded within 179 days in an industrial compost. Traditional polyester does not biodegrade. Instead, it is piling high in landfills around the world.
Celys has been launched by Intimiti Australia – a science-driven textiles company founded in 2014 that focuses on the innovation and development of high-performance materials that aim to reduce carbon footprints, and contribute to a more sustainable, circular economy.
Celys can also be blended with natural fibres, such as cotton, linen and wool, to create new biodegradable blends that add the benefits of traditional polyester to natural options. Natural fibres such as cotton, linen and wool are biodegradable, as are viscose, modal and lyocell. Most synthetic fibres are not.
Polyester is the world’s most used fibre. Over the last 50 years it has become commonplace in wardrobes around the world. The 2023 Textile Exchange’s annual Materials Market Report showed that, after overtaking cotton use in fashion and textiles in 2002, around 63.3 million tonnes of polyester was produced in 2022, making up 54% of total global fibre production.
The new fibre is certified by BPI, which is a third-party verification of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards for compostable products in North America. It indicates compostability for consumers, end users and composters to use when determining whether or not a product or package is compostable.
The Celys compostable polymer allows complete microbial decomposition, leaving nothing but biomass, carbon dioxide and water.
