FIFA World Cup 2014 a great stage for Taiwanese innovative fabrics from PET bottles

Yarns and Fibers News Bureau, 03-07-2014 Paris

Taiwan gets a great stage and sales opportunity for its innovative fabrics made of recycled
plastic bottles at FIFA World Cup 2014. FIFA estimates that the 2014 World Cup will generate
US$40 billion in revenues, and with the apparel industry the major beneficiary, a potential
jackpot awaits for the Taiwanese enterprises that have turned waste into gold.
The fabric traces its origins back to the 1990s, when Taiwanese producers needed to respond
to declining orders that were being diverted to China to take advantage of its cheap labor.
The fabrics is a creation of environmental necessity in a country that consumes 4.5 billion
plastic bottles a year and of commercial necessity to reinvent itself after have lost many of its
orders to low-cost China in the 1990s.
Now, with several teams wearing jerseys made of these innovative fabrics in Brazil after they
were first introduced in South Africa four years ago, Taiwan's 23 million residents have
already won their World Cup.
Taiwanese textile suppliers as Ecomax Textile, Singtex Industrial, Eclat Textile and Super
Textile eventually became the pioneers in turning plastic bottles, made of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), into fabrics, and they now have a 70 percent share of the bottle-based
fiber market.
According to Super Textile Chairman Alex Lo, the PET bottles need about 400 years to
decompose, posing a big threat to the environment in a country that has little spare room for
dumping waste, recycling was the best approach to deal with the problem.
Moreover, the PET fabrics are good at absorbing water and light, and use about 30 percent
less electricity during the production process than other materials.
Taiwans PET fabrics and jerseys are getting so popular that to meet the increasing demand,
the country now even has to import PET bottles.
Vocabulary
1. innovative, adj., using new methods or ideas:

2.

- She was an imaginative and innovative manager.

- There will be a prize for the most innovative design.
revenue, n., the income that a government or company receives regularly:

3.

- Taxes provide most of the government's revenue.

- The company's annual revenues rose by 30%.
- Strikes have cost 20 million in lost revenues.
apparel, n., clothes of a particular type when they are being sold in a shop:
- The store sells women's and children's apparel.
- We sell a full range of sports apparel.
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4.

beneficiary, n., someone who gets advantages from an action or change:

- Who will be the main beneficiary of the cuts in income tax?

5.

- The rich were the main beneficiaries of the tax cuts.

- Her husband was the chief beneficiary of her will.
trace, v., to find the origin of something:

6.

- The phone company were unable to trace the call.

- She could trace her family tree back to the 16th century.
- No one has yet been able to trace the source of the rumour.
decline, v., to gradually become less, worse , or lower:

7.

8.

9.

- The party's popularity has declined in the opinion polls.

- Car sales have declined by a quarter.
divert, v., to cause something or someone to change direction:
- Our flight had to be diverted to Shanghai because of the storm.
- Northbound traffic will have to be diverted onto minor roads.
take advantage of, phrasal verb, to use the good things in a situation:
- I thought I'd take advantage of the sports facilities while I'm here.
- We took full advantage of the hotel facilities.
necessity, n., the need for something:
- We were discussing the necessity of employing more staff.
- There is absolutely no necessity for you to be involved.

10. decompose, v., to break , or to break something, into smaller parts:

- Microbes decompose organic waste into a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide
11. pose, v., to cause something, especially a problem or difficulty:
- Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone.
- Rising unemployment is posing serious problems for the administration ([US]
government).
12. spare, adj., If something is spare, it is available to use because it is extra:
- We've got a spare room if you want to stay overnight with us.
- Could I have a word with you when you've got a spare moment /minute?
13. dump, v., to get rid of something you do not want, especially in a place which is not
suitable:
- Too much toxic waste is being dumped at sea.
- Several old cars had been dumped near the beach.
14. approach, n., a way of considering or doing something:
- She took the wrong approach in her dealings with them.
- Since our research so far has not produced any answers to this problem, we need
to adopt a different approach to it.
15. absorb, v., to take in a liquid, gas or other substance from the surface or space around:
- Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
- Let the rice cook until it has absorbed all the water.
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