Japan's Kobe Steel and a textile trading firm Chori have succeeded in turning used PET bottles into spunbound nonwoven material. Spunbound nonwovens are used in the manufacture of disposable diapers, wrapping paper, filter material and in soil separation and erosion control applications. The recycling process begins when polyster chips, derived from recycled PET bottles, are sent from Chori to Kobe Steel's spunbound facility in Harima, Japan where they are melted and spun into a filament. The collected filament is then rolled under heat and pressure into a spunbound sheet. These sheets are returned to Chori where they are subject to further processing before being marketed under the 'Petfab' brand name. According to Kobe Steel, Petfab exhibits similar strength, uniformity, processability and heat resistance as virgin polyester. It is sold primarily to domestic market manufacturers and is priced in the same range as regular nonwoven polyesters. Chori attributes the development of Petfab to increased environmental awareness and sees the reuse of PET bottles as a way of growing its material recycling business. According to Japan's Council for PET bottle recycling, more PET bottles are being recycled in the country than five years ago.