Aquafil's Econyl Plant Begins Production

Lubjiana, Slovenia, April 5, 2011 -- Aquafil said its new Econyl plant in Slovenia has begun industrial production of fully recycled nylon 6 polymer.

At full capacity, the plant can produce 2 million pounds per month of “like virgin” caprolactam and nylon 6 resin from post consumer waste and post industrial material, Aquafil said.

The production process is fed by different streams of post consumer carpets as well as used fabrics and fishing nets together with industrial discards from all over the world.
 
The Econyl polymer contains a minimum of 25% post consumer content, while the rest is post industrial.

According to a study commissioned to GUT, the eco-friendly branch of the European Association of Carpet Manufacturers, the environmental footprint of Econyl is 52% to 75% less than virgin nylon 6.

By 2013 Aquafil plans to double the capacity of the Econyl plant to reach 50 million pounds per year and to significantly increase the percentage of post consumer content, up to 50%.