The US Sorbitol markets weakened through February as buying remained routine rather than opportunistic, with late-February selling pressure pushing values lower. Early declines gave way to a flatter mid-month tone before a renewed round of spot liquidity and sharper selloffs in late February underscored the soft price environment. Participants attributed the move to balanced inventories and the absence of demand surges from major end-users. Logistics stayed orderly and feedstock conditions offered little impetus for a rebound, leaving sellers inclined to discount to clear positions as the month closed. Downstream demand from food, personal care and pharmaceutical buyers remained broadly steady, keeping transactional volumes consistent but not generating upside momentum. The market benefited from a benign cost backdrop: glucose feedstock remained stable, production ran at normal rates and inventories were adequate, limiting pricing power for sellers. The near-term outlook signals limited upside unless supply tightens or restocking accelerates, with further downward pressure possible if spot selling persists.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
