What is Recycled Fabric?
Recycled polyester, often referred to as rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), is a synthetic fiber made from recycled plastic bottles and waste polyester fabric. The concept behind recycled polyester is to reduce the need for virgin plastic production, thereby cutting down on fossil fuel use and diverting plastic waste from landfills. However, while recycling plastic into polyester fibers reduces environmental burden compared to new production, it isn't without its own environmental challenges.
Mechanical recycling, the most common method, degrades the quality of the polyester with each cycle, shortening the fiber length. This degradation limits its potential to be recycled repeatedly into high-value products. Moreover, the demand for recycled fibers in fashion is low, meaning that while it has positive environmental potential, the actual market for recycled polyester remains limited.
How is Polyester Made?
Polyester is a synthetic fabric derived from petroleum, a fossil fuel. The production process involves refining crude oil into monomers, which are then polymerized to create long chains of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These PET chains are then spun into fibers, woven into fabric, and treated with various chemicals to enhance durability and other performance characteristics like water resistance.
For recycled polyester, the process starts with plastic bottles or old polyester fabrics. They are cleaned, shredded, and then melted down into small pellets. These pellets are then spun into new polyester fibers, which can be woven into fabrics. However, the recycling process itself is energy-intensive and still relies on the original petroleum-based material, meaning it’s not a fully closed-loop system.
Cotton vs. Polyester
Comparing cotton and polyester is complex because both materials have significant environmental impacts, but they differ in how those impacts manifest.
Carbon Footprint
Polyester is a petroleum-based product, so its production releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The energy required to convert oil into fabric is substantial. Cotton, on the other hand, is a natural fiber, but the farming process uses significant amounts of energy for irrigation, fertilization, and machinery. However, organic cotton can lower the carbon footprint significantly, especially when grown using sustainable practices.
Water Usage
Cotton is notorious for its excessive water usage. It is estimated that it takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt. Polyester, being a synthetic material, does not require water for growth, but its production process involves chemical treatments that can generate water pollution. The trade-off between the two comes down to the fact that while polyester uses less water in production, it contributes more to microplastic pollution during its lifecycle.
Social Impact
Polyester production is typically automated and chemical-intensive, with little direct labor involved compared to cotton, which is labor-intensive, particularly in developing countries where cotton farming often relies on low-wage labor. In some regions, cotton farming has been associated with poor working conditions, including exposure to toxic pesticides, child labor, and insufficient wages. The rise of organic and fair-trade cotton initiatives aims to address these social issues, but they still persist in many areas.
The Costs of Fake Leather
The fashion industry has increasingly turned to synthetic leather, often made from polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as a more "sustainable" alternative to animal leather. However, a deep dive into the production of fake leather reveals troubling environmental and social costs. Fake leather, much like polyester, is derived from fossil fuels and involves a heavy use of chemicals in its manufacturing process. These chemicals can pollute water sources, harm workers, and contribute to air pollution.
Furthermore, much like polyester, synthetic leather sheds microplastics during its lifecycle, especially in the form of abrasion and degradation over time. These microplastics eventually make their way into the environment, where they accumulate in oceans, harm marine life, and even enter the human food chain through seafood consumption.
The Environmental and Social Harms of Polyester
One of the biggest issues with polyester, both virgin and recycled, is its contribution to microplastic pollution. When synthetic fibers are washed, tiny fragments—called microfibers—break off and are released into water systems. These fibers are too small to be filtered out by water treatment facilities, which means they end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Studies have shown that up to 700,000 fibers can be released in a single 6kg load of laundry. These microfibers then accumulate in marine ecosystems, where they are ingested by fish and other sea life, eventually making their way up the food chain to humans.
Textiles, particularly those made from synthetic fibers like polyester, are considered the largest source of microplastic pollution in the oceans. Once in the ocean, these fibers do not break down, and evidence suggests they can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Moreover, the cost of producing recycled polyester remains higher than virgin polyester due to the energy required in the recycling process. This means that as long as oil prices stay low, virgin plastic will remain cheaper, making it harder for recycled polyester to compete on the market. The fashion industry’s reliance on low-cost materials makes it challenging to prioritize more sustainable—but more expensive—alternatives.
In retrospect, recycled polyester may seem like a greener alternative to virgin polyester, but it is far from a perfect solution. Its production still relies on fossil fuels, its market demand is low, and its role in microplastic pollution is significant. While using recycled materials is a step in the right direction, the fashion industry needs to focus on reducing overall consumption, improving recycling technologies, and shifting towards truly sustainable fibers like organic cotton, hemp, or other plant-based alternatives.