CHANGING MATERIALS
RECYCLED BOTTLES
The primary reason why I chose this material is the colorfulness. How ever as in the research process, I’m gradually know that it is really nice material for sustainable fabric.
About the material
On the exhibition,
The discarded bottles are used to make recycled plastic sheets. They are collected, sorted, flaked and thoroughly washed to remove any contaminants. Looking like multi-colored corn flakes the pieces are then compressed into sheets.
I had not realized yet when I first saw this description, that this material is being used as fabric. However, on the internet, there is lots of information about this technique which are used to make fabric.
Articles from internet
Video clip: Recycled Clothing
● Initially, it was only for fleece, but nowadays, it can be used for making fiber fabrics as well such as sheer chiffon and polyester.
● Technique behind of this kind of fabric’s improving allows manufacture produce high quality materials.
● More designers are getting interested in using these kinds of materials for their garments recently, because of its cost performance,
● Reduce energy consumption 76% Reduce CO2 emissions by 71%
● High fiber even blending them with cotton or wool
● 17 bottles=1wreater
● 36,500,000 lbs of fiber=365,000,000bottles
● It still little more expensive to make fabric from recycling fabric, because it becomes wider marketing, the industry expects that will change.
Recycled Plastic-The Fashion Fabric
● Many companies are keen to incorporate recycled materials but there’s luck of information about how to order supplies.
● Luck of recycling facilities for plastic means that PET is a major contributor to the landfill crisis.
● . One of the ways of increasing use of recycled materials in the fashion industry is to enhance the look of the fabric and Yukie is developing methods to convert raw fibre into texturally rich yarn and producing new types of fabric with visual or tactile aesthetic qualities.
They are first outdoor clothing manufacturer to adopt fleece into their products line from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles.
They are able to utilize more sources for recycled polyester and offer it on more garments such as Capilene baselayers, shell jackets and board shorts, as well as fleece. They now recycle used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibers to produce many of their clothes.
The benefits of recycled polyester
●Lessens dependence on oil
●Curbs discards, thereby prolonging landfill life and reducing toxic emissions from incinerators
●Helps to promote a new recycling stream for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable
●Creates less air, water and soil contamination
Recycling Plastic into Fabric: Re-Wear Your Bottles
How turn a bottle into a fabric?
- At the recycling plant, the plastic bottle (made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET) is separated from other materials (bottle caps, wrappers, etc.) and then sorted: colored plastic will be used to make darkly colored thread, while clear plastic can be made into any color.
- The plastic is chopped up and then crushed up into tiny flakes.
- The flakes are melted in large vats, and the resulting liquid is pushed through a showerhead-like strainer to create fibrous polyester strands.
- The strands are stretched to make them thinner and stronger.
- Finally, the strands are cut, bundled, and shipped to manufacturers.
