Far Eastern New Century Pioneers Footwear Sustainability with World's First Commercialized Midsoles from Waste PET Bottles
TAIPEI, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Far Eastern New Century Corporation (FENC) is a global leader in eco-friendly polyester materials, dedicated to the innovation and development of sustainable materials. In 2025, FENC achieved a breakthrough in footwear technology, becoming the first in the world to convert rigid post-consumer PET bottles into recycled thermoplastic polyester elastomer (rTPEE). This next-generation material combines outstanding environmental benefits with superior performance, featuring excellent elasticity, cushioning, and rebound, making it an ideal solution for footwear midsoles. It has already been successfully commercialized and supplied to the French outdoor sports brand SALOMON for its signature Solamphibian amphibious shoes. Compared with petroleum-based virgin TPEE, rTPEE reduces carbon emissions by 10–30%, accelerating the footwear industry's transition toward both high-value and sustainable development. The material has received strong market recognition, with multiple leading international sports brands currently in discussions to adopt it, demonstrating significant market potential.
Leveraging its core polyester expertise, FENC has developed polyester materials in diverse specifications through polymerization and by modifying the material properties to suit the various shoe components, hence addressing the challenge of separating shoe components for recycling. FENC has developed shoe uppers, laces, linings, insoles, shanks and toe cap adhesive made of recycled polyester (rPET), and midsoles from rTPEE which is based on rPET material, advancing the concept of "single-material, fully recyclable" design.
In addition, FENC has developed FENC® TopGreen® AirTek PU technology, which utilizes industrially captured CO₂ as a raw material to produce high-performance elastic materials. These materials can be widely applied in footwear, stretch fabrics, waterproof-breathable membranes, and synthetic leather. This innovative solution eliminates the use of highly toxic phosgene and isocyanates traditionally found in conventional polyurethane (PU) manufacturing, offering a safer and more environmentally friendly production process. Compared to traditional thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), AirTek PU achieves up to a 58% reduction in carbon emissions while maintaining both performance and functionality. It represents a breakthrough that combines eco-friendliness, non-toxicity, carbon reduction and high performance. FENC was awarded Second Prize at the Innovation Award "Best CO2 Utilisation 2025", held in Cologne, Germany, becoming the first Asian company to receive the award since its inception, showcasing FENC's leadership in global sustainable material innovation.
FENC continues to advance sustainable materials and low-carbon innovation technologies, promoting a circular economy and driving the world toward a net-zero future.
About Far Eastern New Century Corporation (FENC)
Founded in 1949 as the parent company of the conglomerate Far Eastern Group, FENC is an international company, based in Taiwan, operating in the USA, Japan, Mainland China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and selling to the name brands around the world. FENC is the world's largest supplier of food-grade rPET, providing customers with comprehensive green product solutions, and is the only polyester supplier in the world vertically integrated to offer a product spectrum spanning from raw materials to consumer end products such as garments.
To learn more about FENC please visit https://www.fenc.com/en-US
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