Is Polyester Clothing Eco-Friendly?

Is Polyester Clothing Eco-Friendly?

Polyester is not eco-friendly, as it's a petroleum-based product, which means it's not sustainable and takes hundreds of years to break down. In addition, the microfibers in polyester clothing often end up in our waterways where they're ingested by fish, other marine life, and humans as well.

Unfortunately, polyester is not a sustainable fabric choice, and therefore polyester clothing is not eco-friendly. Meaning the most widely used textile is not environmentally friendly.

You can see how this can easily get out of hand, and that's exactly what's happening. The real environmental impact of polyester should be considered from all angles. From the beginning of the process to the end.

Because polyester is harmful from sourcing to manufacturing, disposal, and waste - basically every decision at every step of the apparel supply chain. Damage to the earth tragically happens at all points along the way.

Con #1: Petroleum Problems

The first issue polyester can’t get around is that the material is made from petroleum and fossil fuels. Demand for polyester contributes to hundreds of millions of barrels of oil being extracted and refined from the earth.

Additionally, clothing brands find it difficult to transparently understand the source of their polyester - the practices or locations of where the oil came from are difficult to know or share with the consumer.

Con #2: Manufacturing Pollution

The process to create polyester also comes with its own set of problems.

While polyester is a relatively cheap material to manufacture, creating it still requires a lot of energy to be used. Additionally, toxic chemicals and heavy metals used in the manufacturing process can find their way into wastewater and ultimately the surrounding environment.

Con #3: Post-Manufacturing Pollution

Finally, once the polyester makes it onto shelves in the form of fabric or clothing, the environmental impact can still be felt. The problems here are twofold:

a) Microplastic Shedding

First, polyester clothing sheds microplastic as it is worn or washed. These microplastics ultimately make it into our water and soil sources and even inside our bodies. The scientific community is still learning about the full extent that microplastics can harm the earth and our bodies. 

b) Landfill Fodder

Second, polyester clothing cannot be easily recycled and often ends up in landfills where it will sit for hundreds of years. Because polyester is a man-made plastic of sorts, it will not biodegrade and is not a sustainable resource. 

Polyester is a Tragic Textile for the Planet

The use of cheap and accessible polyester fabric has contributed to environmental waste and bad habits throughout the entire garment industry - from fast-fashion everyday wear to athleisure and activewear.

Despite the impact, polyester is easy and profitable for clothing manufacturers to use, encouraging wasteful production and consumption patterns.

There is, however, one saving grace for polyester. Technology that preserves the functional benefits of polyester while lessening the environmental impact. That is recycled polyester or rPET.

How is Recycled Polyester Different From Virgin Polyester?

Recycled polyester is different from virgin polyester in terms of raw materials. Whereas virgin polyester requires new petroleum and chemicals to turn oil into plastic that can be weaved into clothing, recycled polyester is created from post-consumer PET water bottles that are transformed into polyester fabric.

To create recycled polyester, manufacturers will collect millions of pounds of used PET plastic from sources including single-use water bottles, fishing nets, and other industrial items.

The plastic will be washed, melted, and reformed into pellets or chips that can be processed further. At this point, the recycled polyester process will look very similar to the virgin polyester process - the rPET will be spun into long threads to create fabric.

Is There a Performance Difference in Recycled Polyester?

Recycled polyester behaves the same as virgin polyester fabric - strength, flexibility, moisture resistance, lightweight, ability to blend, ease of care - all of the performance attributes that brands and consumers love about virgin polyester are identical in recycled polyester.

This is all regardless of the form the PET takes post-consumer - be it a water bottle or packaging, your recycled polyester fabric will still have the same amazing performance qualities as virgin polyester.

The real benefit, however, is that by choosing recycled polyester clothing you will not be adding to new fossil fuel demand and will be helping save the environment.

Massive fashion brands have already replaced their dependency on virgin polyester with recycled polyester. Titans of fashion like Nike, Patagonia, The North Face, Levi's, etc., are all looking to manufacturers to source recycled polyester garments for them.

One standout manufacturer is Repreve, in unison with its parent company, which has recycled 34 billion PET water bottles to date - and this number shoots up by 4,300 bottles every minute.

Ditch Virgin Polyester, Adopt Recycled Polyester

Repreve, and more specifically recycled polyester, are in high demand. This is why the fabric has made the Sport Casuals' "5 Trending Eco-Friendly Fabrics in Activewear" list. But there's a long way to go.

Even if everyone used recycled polyester in place of polyester tomorrow, it's still not the most sustainable fiber on the market, not by a long shot. But it is a starting point for change.

Polyester will continue to be a fabric of choice for clothing makers because the material is inexpensive, easy to customize with colors and patterns, and creates durable and comfortable clothing.

While polyester clothing is common, consumers are waking up to the environmental impact it has, and this is affecting their purchase decisions. Setting aside the ethical charm of brands using recycled polyester, this adoption of recycled polyester by brands is most likely driven by consumer intent.

And since recycled polyester clothing has the same performance benefits as virgin polyester clothing with less harm to the environment, it's an easy decision even if there are cost implications, as they would be more likely tolerable due to positive environmental reasons.

5 ADVANTAGES OF POLYESTER YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

Polyester is a synthetic fiber widely used in the textile industry. It often serves as a substitute for cotton, which is a natural fiber known for its absorbency and breathability. But in reality, polyester has a number of benefits that few users recognize.

From the time it began to be mass marketed, the use of this raw material has been very diversified, demonstrating its versatility. For example, it can be transformed into fabric for uniforms, athletic wear, or bags, each with different characteristics, in line with the purpose for which the fabric was designed.

Despite the specific features of each polyester-based fabric, we want to tell you about the general advantages this material brings to each of its applications:

Doesn’t lose its shape:

It doesn’t stretch or shrink. It has a recovery capacity that other natural fibers don’t have, so, for example, it doesn’t wrinkle. That’s why Lafayette Sports’ fabrics with Stretch technology are composed mostly of polyester and Lycra.

It can be combined with other materials:

This includes rayon, cotton, wool, nylon, or viscose, increasing the quality of the final product and permitting a multiplicity of uses. That’s why Uni For me offers a functional fabric that takes advantage of the natural qualities of cotton, combining it with the durability of polyester.

Source: trimsandpackaging.com

It’s light weight:

But that doesn’t take away from it being a very tough and durable material. A clear example is Parma Plus by Lafayette Texsolutions, a very versatile fabric with great tear and tensile strength.

It absorbs less moisture:

This helps it repel fungi, mold and bacteria. This not only increases its durability, but also avoids unpleasant odors, qualities we have taken advantage of to create Lafayette Sports’ Odor Protect technology.

Source: ninithi.com

It absorbs dye better:

Polyester garments usually have brighter colors and prints that are also longer-lasting. That’s why Lafayette Fashion’s fabrics for swimwear, shirts, blouses, and dresses are composed mostly of polyester.

Natural and synthetic fibers have different characteristics and advantages. The main differences come from the technology used to create fabrics, based on the desired final use. If you need advice about the materials best for you to work with, get in touch with a Lafayette consultant.

The Pros & Cons of Polyester

Unlike PVC, which combines a dense coating with an even denser scrim, polyester is extremely lightweight. This makes it easy to roll up and transport, and enables hassle-free installation. As such, polyester is a perfect choice for:

Exhibition structures

Internal banners

Point of sale displays

The lightweight nature of the material also means that transportation and delivery costs are reduced.