Sustainability is a core competency of DAK Americas. The company has implemented a clear and comprehensive program to make sustainability a part of all its operations.

DAK Americas’ Sustainability Program focuses on three broad categories or aspects including people, the environment and the marketplace. These categories overlap in many areas and cover employees and communities under the people umbrella, waste and resources as part of the environment, and sustainable solutions as part of the marketplace, which includes the company’s Green Polyester business initiatives.

Regarding its focus on the marketplace, DAK says the search for sustainability goes well beyond recycling. The Green Polyester business unit was created to focus on understanding the marketplace and the needs of customers to supply sustainable competitive offerings.

DAK is doing this in several ways, some of which include assessing the viability of renewable biologically-based raw materials and energy sources for use across all of DAK’s businesses; and establishing strategic R&D initiatives to integrate post-consumer recycle (PCR) into DAK Americas product offerings including resins and fibers.

In addition, the creation of Clear Path Recycling LLC—a joint venture with Shaw Industries—produces recycled PET (RPET) from post-consumer PET bottles and containers. The RPET will, in turn, be used by DAK and Shaw in their polyester-based products. Currently, Clear Path can recycle over 160 million pounds of PET bottles annually, conserving over half a million cubic yards of landfill space.

DAK Americas is one of the largest integrated producers of PET resins in the world and the main producer of polyester staple fibers in the Americas. DAK Americas is headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and is wholly owned by Alfa S.A.B. de C.V. of Monterrey, Mexico.