What Is Recycled Polyester?
Like traditional polyester, recycled polyester is a man-made fabric produced from synthetic fibers. However, instead of utilizing new materials to craft the fabric (i.e. petroleum), recycled polyester makes use of existing plastic. In many cases, those existing plastics are your old water bottles, which are then processed and magically transformed into a very nice fashion blouse, fashion dress etc. Thus the recycled polyester is a very eco-friendly, environment-frendly and sustainable.
How Is It Made?
OK, so it’s not pure magic. Recycled polyester is made by breaking down used plastic into small, thin chips, which are processed and eventually turned into yarn. Processes vary by specific fabrication, so let’s focus on the recycled polyester used in our Ridgeline Bag collection, Repreve. Manufacturing this ultra-durable fiber begins with truckloads of plastic bottles – but just the clear ones, which provide a neutral base for applying dyes. The bottles are stripped of their labels and shredded up into tiny pieces that look like plastic confetti. The festive vibe is appropriate: Recycling single-use plastics dramatically decreases greenhouse gas emissions compared to producing virgin polyester. Water usage is also significantly decreased during production. These plastic pieces are then converted into tiny pellets, melted, and spun into yarn.
Environmental Benefits
By limiting the use of virgin materials, recycled polyester dramatically lowers its environmental impact versus traditional polyester. Recycled polyester:
- Reduces reliance on virgin petroleum as a raw material
- Diverts used plastic from landfills
- Prevents used plastic from ending up in our oceans and harming marine life (more on that here)
- Decreases greenhouse gas emissions from creating and processing virgin polyester
- Can be continuously recycled again and again without quality degradation