Recycled Polyester

Virgin polyester uses non-renewable petroleum as its raw source, using an estimated 342 million barrels of oil every year, as cited by A New Textiles Economy Report 2017. Recycled polyester is made by melting down existing plastics and recreating it as new polyester fiber. It does not depend on petroleum for production.

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.

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.

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.