Far Eastern New Century Corporation (FENC) has developed a new recycled thermoplastic polyester elastomer (rTPEE) made from rigid post-consumer PET bottles, marking what it says is a world-first in footwear materials. The product has been adopted by French outdoor sports brand Salomon for its Solamphibian amphibious shoes.
According to the company, the rTPEE offers elasticity, cushioning and rebound comparable to petroleum-based virgin TPEE, while reducing carbon emissions by 10–30%. FENC stated: “This achievement was accompanied by several other positive developments, including a continued rise in issuance from development banks and the second-highest quarter (Q2 2025) for the issuance of aligned sustainable debt.”
The company has also expanded its use of recycled polyester (rPET) across other shoe components including uppers, laces, linings, insoles, shanks and adhesives. It said this approach is intended to advance “single-material, fully recyclable” shoe design, which could help tackle difficulties in separating footwear components for recycling.
In addition, FENC has developed what it calls TopGreen® AirTek PU technology, which uses industrially captured CO₂ to produce elastic materials. The process avoids the use of phosgene and isocyanates used in conventional polyurethane (PU) production, and the company reports it can cut carbon emissions by up to 58% compared with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
The technology received second prize at the Innovation Award “Best CO₂ Utilisation 2025” in Cologne, Germany. A company spokesperson said: “This represents a breakthrough that combines eco-friendliness, non-toxicity, carbon reduction and high performance.”
