Recycled Polyester
Reducing landfill waste and dependence on petroleum, recycled polyester is a sustainability doubleheader.
How is recycled polyester different?
Production Materials
Virgin polyester uses non-renewable petroleum as its raw source, using an estimated 342 million barrels of oil every year.
Recycled polyester is made by melting down existing plastics and recreating it as new polyester fiber. It does not depend on petroleum for production.
Recycled polyester uses no petroleum in it's production.
Recycled polyester uses significantly less energy to produce than regular polyester.
Resources
Polyester requires high amounts of energy to produce, up to 125 MJ of energy per kilogram produced.
Recycled polyester uses fewer resources than its traditional counterpart, a savings by the global industry of 5.7 billion liters of water, the energy equivalent to 498,924 US homes powered for one year, and driving 1.7 billion miles in an average sized car in just two years.
Traceability
The CFDA, Council of Fashion Designers of America, claims that they have never been able to trace back polyester to its raw material source, stating that petroleum is one of the hardest raw materials to trace.
Recycled polyester certified through Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is tracked through the supply chain, so we know exactly where our fiber comes from.
Impact
Virgin polyester emits 14.2 kg of CO2 per kilogram of clothing produced and in 2015 polyester produced for clothing emitted 282 billion kg of CO2. Besides this, polyester sheds microplastics throughout its life and in routine consumer washes. According to A New Textiles Economy Report 2017, polyester contributes to the estimated 500,000 tons of plastic microfibers that are shed into the oceans annually.
Recycled polyester represents a reduction in GHG emissions by more than 70% as compared to virgin polyester. Recycled polyester also diverts plastic from the environment (via sourcing from existing plastic) which reduces soil contamination and air and water pollution.
Microplastic sheddings found in the ocean.
Recycled polyester fibers create a strong, durable fabric.
Quality of Material
Polyester and recycled polyester share in quality of material, each creating long-lasting, strong clothing. Garments created from recycled polyester aim to be continuously recycled with no degradation of quality, allowing us to minimize wastage. This means polyester garment manufacture could potentially become a closed loop system.
Benefits of Recycled Polyester
Durable
LIghtweight
Wrinkle Resistant
Quick Drying
Retains Shape
Easy to Maintain
Did You Know?
Polyester is the most widely produced fiber, taking 52% of the fiber market share in 2019.
Recycled polyester is most often produced from PET plastic bottles, but can also be made from other post-consumer plastics such as ocean waste, discarded polyester textiles, or from pre-consumer processing residues such as fabric scraps.
Recycled polyester is most often produced from PET plastic bottles, but can also be made from other post-consumer plastics such as ocean waste, discarded polyester textiles, or from pre-consumer processing residues such as fabric scraps.