New testing method boosts trust in recycled synthetic textiles

Eurofins Sustainability Services, part of the company’s Consumer Products Testing division, has launched a new and improved method to check whether plastics used in clothing, textiles, and shoes are recycled. They claim this method is more accurate than current ways of verifying recycled content.

Experts at Eurofins Sustainability Services recently shared their concerns regarding the rising demand for recycled fibers and the dishonest practices associated with them. They warned that brands must prove their polyester is truly recycled if they want to meet eco-friendly standards and avoid being accused of misleading consumers.

“There will be cases where regular, virgin materials are wrongly claimed to be recycled, especially when companies try to meet market pressure,” said Dr. Pratik Ichhaporia, Vice President of Technical Services at Eurofins Consumer Products North America. He added that proper testing can help catch such issues and ensure that the materials used are genuinely recycled.

Eurofins has introduced a unique technique called thermal analysis. It can confirm if polyester, nylon, or acrylic materials are recycled—no matter what the original source was. When plastic is melted and reused several times, its structure changes. This method checks those changes and works on raw pellets, threads, cloth, or finished products.

In addition, Eurofins uses another method called thermogravimetric analysis. In this process, a sample is heated, and the weight loss is measured as the polyester breaks down. Each plastic type burns at a specific temperature, so this helps identify what the material is made of. It also helps confirm whether the claimed proportions of materials in a blend are correct.