What is Recycled Polyester? The Best RPET Clothing Brands
Unfortunately plastic is a pervasive part of our lives. It’s in our kitchens, it’s in our bathrooms, it’s even in our closets.
According to the Textile Exchange about half of the world’s clothing is made from polyester fabric, which is basically plastic.
This guide explores the sustainability of recycled polyester and features some eco-conscious RPET clothing brands if you’re searching for brands that are more responsible in producing fashion made with polyester.
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What is polyester?
Polyester is derived from petroleum products and through chemical reactions is made into polyethylene terephthalate (PET), what we know as polyester when used for fabric.
As a fabric for clothing, it has its advantages: it retains its shape well and is resistant to wrinkling, shrinking, and stretching.
Think activewear or yoga pants!
Despite its abundance and prevalence, and even advantages, polyester is far from being a perfect fabric.
Virgin polyester can be an energy-intensive product and unfortunately this fabric is not biodegradable, making it bad for the environment. However, if you chose wisely and invest in polyester clothing that is crafted to last this can be a plus for your wardrobe.
In an effort to make gentle, sustainable, and eco-friendly choices for our closets, consumers have turned to natural fabrics such as wool, hemp, linen, and organic cotton.
But what about recycled polyester, or RPET, clothing: what is it and is it a green alternative?
What is RPET Clothing?
Recycled polyester is also known as RPET, with the “R” standing for recycled and the ”PET” for polyethylene terephthalate. Its use is particularly popular for sportswear, loungewear, and outdoor garments.
It is made of recycled plastic water bottles, textile waste, and even old fishing nets.
There are two methods of recycling plastic into RPET clothing: mechanical and chemical.
How is clothing made from recycled plastic bottles?
With mechanical recycling, plastic is shredded into flakes, melted down, and pulled through spinnerets to make yarn.
This is, however, a finite form of recycling because the quality of the product declines as fibers become shorter and weaker with every (re)cycle.
Chemical recycling converts a plastic product back to its original monomers which are indistinguishable from virgin polyester.
This process is more sustainable as the material retains the quality of the original and can be recycled more often.
However, it is the more expensive method of the two.
Is Recycled Polyester Clothing Eco-Friendly?
Using recycled instead of virgin polyester reduces our dependency on fossil fuels, requires less energy, and produces fewer carbon emissions.
By using plastic bottles, fishing nets, and textile waste to make RPET, waste is diverted from oceans and landfills.
However, while plastic can be recycled into RPET clothing – and even shoes, bags, and other accessories – once it becomes polyester it remains a finite product that can still end up in oceans or landfills because it’s not biodegradable. So if you buy clothing made from RPET, make the best use of it you can.
The use of RPET for clothing may also lead to a high use of dye to get consistent colors for a batch of clothes.
This requires a high use of water, energy, and chemicals.
Rather support brands making unique, small-batch items or ones that use natural dyes.
But no matter what you wear, wash and look after your clothes with care.
And speaking of laundry, there’s another inevitable problem that pops up when discussing polyester, whether virgin or recycled: microfibers.
Washing Recycled Polyester Clothing and Avoiding Microplastics
Microfibers are tiny pieces of plastic released from synthetic clothing like polyester, nylon, and acrylic when you wash them, ending up in our waterways.
This impacts aquatic life as it enters their bodies and ultimately works its way up the food chain into our bodies as well.
Recycled polyester still releases microplastic, no more or less than virgin polyester does.
There are ways to prevent microplastics from entering the environment, or at least entering it less often and in fewer quantities.
Even without RPET clothing in our closets there’s likely still an abundance of other synthetics shedding microfibers into our water; so it’s always a good idea to find ways of reducing their entry.
Here are a few tips you can apply:
Only do laundry when you need to.
Wash laundry at lower temperatures, as this releases fewer microfibers. It also uses less energy, so you win on two fronts.
Buy a washing bag that filters microfibers, purchase a CORA ball, or install a microfiber filter that does the same job.
Like a lot of other fabrics, recycled polyester has its pros and cons. The ultimate key to sustainable and eco-friendly closets is to buy less and make the most of what you already own.
If you’ve worn out your leggings from multiple yoga sessions, run your sneakers into the ground, or endured numerous winters in your puffer jacket, there are eco-conscious and ethical brands to help you restock your closet when necessary.
7 Eco-Conscious Fashion Brands Using Recycled Polyester
Ministry of Supply’s Dress Shirts Made from Recycled Water Bottles
Ministry of Supply creates clothes for motion, comfort, easy care, and the planet.
Their clothes are made with recycled and bio-based fabrics through 3D Print-Knit production, an on-demand, zero waste production technique. Since 2019, Ministry of Supply has been making their Aero Zeroº dress shirts from upcycled PET water bottles and milling their fabric under renewable solar power, reducing carbon emissions by over 50%.
The emissions that this brand is not able to eliminate are offset, creating a 100% recycled, carbon-neutral dress shirt. Recently Ministry of Supply took this a step further with their partnership with Shinkong Textiles, they have developed a recycling process that can separate polyester fibers.
They are able to re-spin the material back into yarn that is strong, durable, and soft creating a circular dress shirt. As their tagline “100% Recycled. 100% Recyclable. Infinite Uses.”
Graphic T-shirts Made from Recycled Water Bottles by Give a Damn Goods
Give a Damn Goods fun statement t-shirts are designed to start conversation about caring for the greater good and self love.
These t-shirts are ethically made with materials including recycled polyester, organic cotton, USA grown cotton, TENCEL modal, and more.
These unique t-shirts are great to give as gifts or purchase for your own closet.
TenTree’s Loungewear Made from Recycled Materials
Specializing in loungewear and activewear for men and women, TenTree makes use of recycled polyester in their garments, as well as natural fabrics like organic cotton and hemp.
They’ve also implemented a tree-planting program, planting ten trees (hence their name) for every item purchased, working in conjunction with Eden Reforestation Projects. Ten Tree uses fair trade practices and certified by SA8000 and BSCI.
Kitty & Vibe Swimwear Made from Recycled Plastic
Kitty and Vibe is a fun inclusive swimwear brand featuring unique patterns. All of their swimsuits are designed in NYC; their styles and prints are designed in-house, making them totally one of a kind!
The fabric is digitally printed in Bogota, Colombia and moves to their manufacturer, a family owned factory, also in Bogota, where Kitty and Vibe is produced ethically in small batches.
Activewear Made from Recycled Materials by Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective uses recycled bottles, fishing nets, and other waste in their leggings, bras, and shorts. The recycled fabric is certified Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX and your delivery arrives in packaging that is recycled and recyclable.
You can even order microfiber filters from Girlfriend Collective.
This brand also has a program called Regirlfriend that collects old Girlfriend Collective Compressive leggings and upcycles them into new pieces that can be worn again and again.
Consumer who choose to send their legging back to be turned into new garments also get a store credit. This circular fashion initiate is great because it encourages consumers to responsibly dispose of their worn out clothing & creates new items from existing materials.
GOEX’s Fair Trade Basics Made from a Recycled Polyester Tri-blend
From long sleeves to short, tank tops to hoodies, GOEX has every kind of tee covered. Made from a tri-blend of USA grown cotton, recycled polyester, and rayon, their clothing is cut and sewn in Haiti and designed and printed in Kansas City.
GOEX is part of the Fair Trade Federation a third party dedicated to creating sustainable employment opportunities & livable wages.
Shoes Made from Recycled Water Bottles
One of the best uses for RPET is making shoes and bags, as they don’t require regular washing. Rothy’s specializes in shoes and bags, transforming water bottles into a signature thread to make their line of comfortable and stylish sneakers, loafers, flats, and sandals, as well as handbags, clutches, and pouches.
Rothy’s knit machines are programmed to precise size levels to ensure minimal waste on their production line.
Once completed, ordered, and ready for delivery, they’ll be sent to you in a recycled cardboard shoebox.
Rothy’s also offsets their carbon footprint through their partnership with Carbonfund.org.
As consumers it’s hard to completely avoid plastic in our clothing, but it is easy to choose high quality clothes that are crafted to last. So next time you’re shopping make sure you invest in clothing that will last for years to come.
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