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FASM420 PROF.KIMBERLY RABANAL
HOW RECYCLED POLYESTER IS CHANGING THE FASHION WORLD
BY SABRINA, LORIE, MAISY, ISABEL
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OVERVIEW OF TEXTILE RECYCLING It is estimated that more than 1 million tons of textiles are thrown away every year in the UK alone. At least 50% of the textiles we throw away is recyclable
There are three ways of recycling fashion: 1. Using fabric composed of recycled fibers or products- for example recycled polyester made from used drinking bottles or
however, the proportion of textile wastes reused or recycled annually in the UK is only around 25%.
fabrics made from recycled yarns 2. Recycling textile fabric- (“Upcycling”) for example using unwanted factory surpluses, offcuts or materials which would otherwise be thrown away 3. Recycling or customizing clothing- taking second hand clothing and re-fashioning or repairing it so it is given a second life.
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BENEFITS Recovery and recycling of polyester provides important environmental benefits.Â
Reduces the need for landfill space. Textiles present particular problems in landfill as synthetic (manmade fibres) products will not decompose, while woollen garments do decompose and produce methane, which contributes to global warming. Reduces pressure on virgin resources. Results in less pollution and energy savings, as fibres do not have to be manufactured or transported from abroad
If everyone in the UK bought one reclaimed woolen garment each year, it would save an average of 371 million gallons of water and 480 tons of chemical dyestuffs.Â
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REASONS TO RECYCLE Landfill sites pose a threat to local ground water supplies. Every time it rains, water drains through all the rubbish, and picks up chemicals and hazardous materials from whatever is in the landfill site. This includes chemicals used in clothing and textiles such as dyes and bleaches. The water collects at the bottom of the landfill, often in large amounts and can be up to 200 times as toxic as raw sewage. By re-using existing fibers and textiles, there is no need to make these textiles from raw materials (such as cotton, wool, and synthetic fibers) This saves on the energy used and pollution caused during manufacturing processes like dying, washing, and scouring.
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04 INTRODUCTION
Demand for high-quality recycled polyester is now outstripping supply, thanks to growing use by diverse brands such as Armani, H&M, Patagonia and Esprit which are using the material in an increasingly diverse range of applications.
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RECYCLED POLYESTER FROM DRINK BOTTLES Fabrics made from recycled items are now becoming more commonplace:
Polyester textile recycling has been developed using the clear plastic water bottles, or PET as the raw material. Recycled polyester made from recycled drink bottles is being made by companies such as Marks and Spencer, EcoSimple and Armani jeans.
ARMANI Armani has been incorporating eco fabrics and design since the mid 90’s. Their first eco project started in 1995 with the development of a process to recycle denim. This was revolutionary for the time and the jeans were displayed at the Science and Technology Museum of Milan. Later that year, Armani Jeans developed new materials using 60% recycled wool and recycled cross dyed cotton and introduced hemp eco washes into the collection. This experimentation has continued with the production of an organic knitwear range, the use of pure alpaca and the engagement with fair-trade cotton projects in Peru and Bolivia and now recycled polyester.
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ECOSIMPLE EcoSimple is another company whose fabrics are a blend of recycled cotton and RPET, which is made from plastic bottles. These fabrics are available in a rich assortment of hues, and seamlessly combine beauty and functionality while supporting environmentally and socially responsible business practices. EcoSimple’s fabrics are impressive examples of how ecofriendly textile production and incredible design are not mutually exclusive. Along with a growing number of clothing manufacturers, they have made a commitment to innovation, social responsibility, and high-quality fabrics that draws conscientious designers from all over the world.
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NEW POLYESTER YARN ON THE SCENE
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Trevira, a popular synthetic fiber maker has recently developed their first range of recycled polyester Meets the global recycled standard and GCS-NL recycle claim standard Made in its German Spinning mills from pre-consumer and post consumer recycled polymers. Joins a list of many fiber manufacturers for example, Unifsi’s Repreve and Sinterama’s Newlife They are looking to capitalize on the overall demand of sustainable synthetic materials.
09 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF RECYCLED POLYESTER
Companies like Unifi has recycled over 2 billion bottles annually at their manufacturing facility in North Carolina. Non-spandex stretch properties and color can be applied, or solution dying.  This eliminates 60% of rthe dyeing and finishing process because you wouldn’t be applying the same dyes and chemicals that would be use for colors, cutting back on water and energy use.
CONSUMERS LOVE IT Many brands have boasted about using this fiber in ther marketing prmotions such as Under Armour, Quicksilver, The North Face etc. Looking closely at performance/athletic wear, using recycled polyester and incorporating performance attributes like anti-microbial, anti-static, wicking and flame retardant are more appealing because now with polyester it can be drapey and light. The market is growing and the industry is working really hard in finding more effective ways to recycle it and add additional properties
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11 FASHION BRANDS THAT SOURCE FOR RECYCLED MATERIALS Reduce, reuse, recycle. The three Rs have been making their way into the fashion world with new strength in recent years Brands try to keep waste to a minimum while creating beautifully unique products are:Â
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1. TONLÉ:
Cambodia-based They are quickly expanding their zero-waste brand made entirely from textile scraps. Creating a manufacturing chain that’s efficient and sustainable.
2. PATAGONIA:
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Patagonia’s Common Threads Partnership helps reduce environmental impact in a variety of ways. They first make clothes that are intended to last a long, long time. They will repair clothes and buy back your gently used clothes. Once a piece of clothing is totally spent, they’ll recycle it to make new fabric. They have drop-off stations in every store.
3. G-STAR RAW JEANS:
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Pharrell is collaborating with G-Star Raw to curate a line of denim made from recycled plastic salvaged from the ocean. The plastic bits are woven into a hybrid cotton-plastic material called Bionic Yarn. From that, they create some pretty rad jeans for both ladies and gents.
4. STUDY NY:
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Brooklyn designer Tara St. James of Study NY strives for nowaste production and incorporates recycled materials into her designs.
5. CARRIE PARRY: :
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Using environmentally responsible materials and recycled fabrics, Carry Parry’s designs are feminine, preppy and classic. She won an award in 2011 for her ethical fashion efforts.
ARE RECYCLED TEXTILES THE FUTURE OF FASHION?
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18 CHANGE IS INEVITABLE With many of the world’s main clothing manufacturing countries (think: China, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan) struggling from both water scarcity and pollution due to population growth and the rising demands of the apparel industry, it’s clear that the supply chain needs to be reevaluated. “Fashionista or not, clothes are a necessity. However, the fashion industry requires large amounts of natural resources, lots of which can be reduced, recycled, substituted or eliminated.”Cecelia Br H&M
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that every American throws away an average of 10 pounds of apparel on an annual basis, the majority of those purchases likely ended up in a landfill.
WHAT’S NEXT?
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Seattle-based start-up Evrnu asserts that in the future, all clothing should be created “by first considering its final life.”
Until that day comes: We encourage participating companies such as fashion and sports apparel brands to develop recyclable products made mainly with polyester, so that they can be collected and recycled Recycling technologies need investment in order to scale and commercialize. Brands need to step up to the plate and not only demand these new materials but put material (post-industrial, pre-consumer and post-consumer) back into the system
THANK YOU!
RESOURCES http://www.lesouk.co/articles/material-inspiration/how-recycled-polyester-is-changingthe-fashion-world https://www.brit.co/recycled-fashion-designers/ https://sourcingjournalonline.com/trevira-joins-recycled-polyester-yarn-crowd-sinfineco/ http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/recycling https://sourcingjournalonline.com/new-polyester-eco-friendly-beyond-basic/