The Japanese company Toray has developed the world’s first fully plant-based polyester yarn made exclusively from renewable raw materials. Toray specializes in functional fabrics. Until now, only partly plant-based polyesters were in the market. The new polyester consists of starch and treacle, a by-product of sugar production. It is recognized as the next step in the sustainable textile industry and can be recyled. It can be used for fabrics and membranes for garments as well as for bottles and packaging. The polymer is chemically identical to existing polyester from crude oil.

The Toray group fuses nanotechnology into its operations, using organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry and biotechnology as its core technologies. In addition to the foundation businesses of fibers and textiles and plastics and chemicals, Toray likewise promotes the global development of IT-related products, carbon fiber composite materials, pharmaceuticals and medical products, environment and engineering including water treatment and progress in other pivotal business fields.

The company has developed waterless printing that’s friendly to the environment. It has developed a printing system that uses silicone to replace the dampening solution. This revolutionary printing system realizes not only high quality printing but also improvements in productivity.

www.toray.in/