Reliance Industries: Traceable, recycled bedding to go on sale in US next year

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Monday said a new brand of bedding products by home textiles maker GHCL Ltd, Cirkularity, using its ecofriendly high-quality fibre will be available for sale in the United States from the first quarter of 2019. The brand platform is inspired by Rekoop, the first bedding solution to use Applied DNA`s CertainT platform and Reliance Industries` Recron GreenGold fiber for source verification and traceability of recycled polyester across the supply chain, RIL said in a release. 

GHCL launched Cirkularity, the new brand of eight lines of bedding, in September at the New York Home Fashions Market week, it said.  "These lines center on `reduce, reuse and recycle`. Rekoop, the inspiration behind Circularity, is a brand of bedding products made from recycled plastic (rPET) and is the first bedding product to use Applied DNA Sciences` CertainT platform," the company said.

Rekoop uses CertainT platform to trace and authenticate post-consumer recycled polyester plastic in its bed sheets, pillow cases and shams throughout the entire supply chain. This technology provides forensic proof that goes beyond a paper document. It guarantees brand authenticity, a growing concern for manufacturers as counterfeiting continues to escalate - rising from $1.2 trillion in 2017 to an anticipated $1.82 trillion by 2020.

Reliance Industries Ltd. Chairman Mukesh Ambani with his mother Kokilaben Ambani, wife Nita Ambani and son Anant Ambani during a visit to Siddhivinayak temple, in Mumbai, Monday, Oct 29, 2018. (PTI Photo)

"We are proud to introduce Rekoop, the first fully source-verified recycled PET bedding product line," GHCL Home Textiles President and CEO Manu Kapur said. Rekoop uses polyester made from recycling post-consumer PET bottles. With 36 plastic bottles used for each sheet or the equivalent of one tonne of plastic (36,000 bottles) in 1000 sheets, helps reduce these PET bottles landing into the landfills, crude oil consumption and carbon emissions, RIL said.

As part of the integrated supply chain for Rekoop, Reliance is also partnering with Applied DNA Sciences in the use of the molecular-based solution for recycled PET to produce certified fiber for home textiles, apparel, footwear and other applications, it said.

"Textile manufacturing must change from linear to circular paradigms to ensure transparency, authenticity and sustainability. We will work closely with Applied DNA Sciences and GHCL to forge new paths to bring required changes to drive circular concept in the industry," RIL Head (Polyester Sector) Hemant Sharma said.

GHCL, operating its home textiles facility in Vapi, Gujarat, incorporated the CertainT verified rPET fiber into its production process, from spinning to weaving to finished processed fabric.