Teijin named on sustainability list

Each year, the world's 2,500 largest companies in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index are invited to participate in SAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The Yearbook lists only the top 15% of the companies in terms of economic, environmental and social performance in each of 58 industrial sectors.

The 433 companies listed this year were ranked in three classes – Gold, Silver and Bronze – along with separate awards to sector leaders and sector movers. The Yearbook's chemical sector listed 17 companies out of the 57 companies assessed by SAM, among which were three in the Gold Class, three in the Silver Class and two including Teijin in the Bronze Class. Teijin also is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index.

Together with two subsidiaries of Asahi Group holdings, Teijin recently launched what is says is the first closed-loop recycling system in China for polyester uniforms. In collaboration with Shandong Asahi Green Source Hi-Tech Farm Co., Ltd. and Shandong Asahi Green Source Milk Products Co., Ltd., both subsidiaries of Asahi Group, Teijin is using its ‘Eco circle’ closed-loop recycling system to chemically recycle uniforms — a first for China.

The move marks a new milestone for Teijin which says it is already working with more than 150 apparel and sportswear manufacturers worldwide to develop and manufacture products made from recyclable materials, as well as to collect and recycle these products at the end of their useful lives. These include well-known brands such as Patagonia Inc., Henri Lloyd and Quiksilver Europe. In China, Teijin has been collaborating with Li Ning, the nation’s largest sports apparel brand, since 2009.

Teijin says that repeated recycling achieved with the ‘Eco Circle’ system significantly reduces both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based processes for polyester production.