China's Petrochemical Giants Are Racing into r-PET — A New Era of Sustainable Materials Begins ♻️

China's Petrochemical Giants Are Racing into r-PET — A New Era of Sustainable Materials Begins ♻️

In a strategic shift toward sustainability and circular economy, major Chinese petrochemical companies are accelerating their investments in recycled PET (r-PET) and advanced polyester materials.

🔹 Sanfangxiang announced it is actively upgrading production lines to develop high-performance r-PET products. In 2024, its bottle-grade PET chip output reached 3.01 million tons, with exports of 1.51 million tons, and revenue of CNY 18.76 billion. The company is also advancing chemical recycling technologies for food-grade r-PET.

🔹 Rongsheng Petrochemical, one of China’s largest private petrochemical firms, is expanding into high-end materials including α-olefin, POE, UHMWPE, PMMA, food-grade CO₂, and r-PET. Its 50,000-ton/year r-PET recycling plant (a JV with Hengyi Petrochemical) was commissioned in 2021, with FDA approval for food contact r-PET.

🔹 China Resources Materials is scaling up r-PET commercialization. In 2024, its r-PET sales hit 20,000 tons, growing 13x YoY. The company is also developing high-performance PETG, heat-resistant PET, and 100% chemically recycled PET.

🔹 Wankai New Materials, part of Zhengkai Group, has built a 100-ton/year chemical recycling pilot line. Meanwhile, Zhengkai and JiaRen New Materials are jointly developing a closed-loop chemical recycling base for polyester textiles, enabling textile-to-textile circularity.

🌱 From chemical recycling to food-grade applications, China's r-PET industry is gaining serious momentum. As regulations tighten and sustainability becomes a market must-have, recycled polyester is not just a trend—it's the future.

👉 Are you exploring r-PET partnerships or sourcing opportunities? Let’s connect.