by John Otsuki, July 13, 2009

In today’s world of limited resources and ever increasing demand for sustainable product alternatives, we are all looking for ways to do our part and to make a positive choice for the environment. Our clothes are often overlooked as a way to make a difference.

When we are shopping, we often look for labels that say “organic” or “renewable,” but what do these mean? Are they the best choice for people who care about their world?

Cotton is the world’s largest non-food crop, estimated at 166 million bales in 2007 alone . The use of pesticides and fertilizers are usually thought of as it’s only negative effect and that generates the demand for “organic” products. But in reality, the land use, water consumption and all the energy and chemistry required to turn cotton fiber into fabric are the real problems. Other natural fibers such as hemp and bamboo may not require a lot of irrigation, but need even more processing to make the fibers soft and usable. Should we be using such enormous amounts of the planet’s limited resources to grow these products if there is a better alternative?

In 2006, the United States sent over 2 million tons of plastic drink bottles to landfill . These bottles, identified by the number “1” in the recycle symbol are made of the plastic called PET. This material is the most recycled plastic on earth and can be processed in almost any location. Recycled PET, also called RPET, has a potential harvest of billions of pounds of material per year and is nearly free. But what can we do with it?

Recent innovations have created processes which allow companies to take discarded PET and turn it into soft, durable and highly sustainable fabrics for a wide range of uses. This material is better known as polyester, but with uses such as micro-fiber, performance fabrics, even warm fleece, it’s come a long way since the days of disco suits and double-knit slacks. The use of recycled PET is a fast growing industry that has the potential to lessen our dependence on limited natural resources while offering great new products.

Fabric mills today turn the RPET yarns into amazing fabrics. These fabrics have characteristics that not only keep you warm and dry, but can wick away moisture, release stains, eliminate odors, kill germs, and even protect the lives of fire fighters and law enforcement. The ability for polyester to “breath” allowing moisture to escape while keeping you comfortable is revolutionizing the sports apparel industry. But at the same time, they can be softer than silk, or tougher than canvas.

Landfill to Retail

Once a drink bottle is collected, it is sent off to a processing facility. There, the bottle is cut into small pieces called flake and then washed. PET flake is then melted into a liquid and shaped into a long, thin fiber. These fibers are then spun into yarn in the same manner as materials such as cotton, wool and other natural products. These yarns are now 100% recycled polyester.
By using recycled plastic instead of new petroleum, over 60% of the energy is saved without any additional harm to the environment . No other fiber is produced with less impact.
Recycled polyester can also help the environment through the use of AirDye® technology. This process uses no water and much less energy to add color and designs to the fabric. Conventional dye and printing methods pollute over 15 gallons of water for a simple T-Shirt in addition to introducing a number of hazardous chemicals and by-products into the environment. AirDye technology makes a great looking product without all those problems and the color lasts as long as the garment.
Manufacturers of apparel and other products are beginning to look at recycled polyester as not just the best alternative to natural fibers, but a better choice. This material is available, easy to work with, affordable and provides consumers with the better environmental product.

Better for the Planet and Better for You

Another area where recycled polyester can help make a positive change is in the use and care of a garment made from it. A cotton shirt holds water. A lot of it. And if you are wearing it during a workout or caught in the rain, you know what we’re talking about. Polyester sheds the water. This is makes it more comfortable to wear. But consider what happens in the wash. A shirt that holds less water is easier to clean and dry. It takes less than half the energy and water to wash a shirt made from polyester as it does one made of cotton.

Polyester is also tougher than cotton. A polyester shirt lasts longer; up to five times longer. A longer life means buying fewer shirts, which means less resources consumed. Not to mention the money you save.

Lastly, what do you do with your shirt when you can no longer use it? The first and most obvious choice is to pass it on to someone who can. So, a shirt that lasts longer is even more important. But, what then? The ability to recycle that same shirt into yet more RPET and recycled polyester and back into a new garment is key. No products going to landfill.

How many times can a product come back again and again? We honestly don’t know - generations, at the very least. This brings new meaning to the term “hand me down.”

Recycled Polyester and A Lot To Say

We have made a choice to use recycled polyester in our shirts because we believe that it is the right thing to do. Each shirt we make is one less made from the earth’s very limited resources. We know that not everything a person buys can be made from recycled trash. But for those products that can be, and that not only work as well, but even better; it seems obvious to us what to do. And we think that many of you agree with us.

i National Cotton Council of America
ii Container Recycling Institute
iii Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, Dept of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications

Please visit our online shop to purchase A Lot To Say products.