What is recycled polyester?

The Nature of Recycled Polyester

1. Raw Material Sources
Mainly from discarded plastic products:
Post-consumer waste: beverage bottles, food packaging, and used clothing (containing polyester).
Industrial waste: chemical fiber factory scraps and textile waste.
A very small amount is sourced from marine plastic (requires special labeling).

2. Core Production Process
Sorting and Cleaning: Removal of labels and glue residues, and high-temperature sterilization.
Crushing and Melting: Plastic bottles/fabric are shredded and then melted at high temperatures to form polyester chips.
Repolymerization and Spinning: The melt passes through a spinneret to restructure the fiber structure and spin new yarn.
Note: This does not involve oil extraction, unlike virgin polyester.

3. Key Performance Characteristics
Strength approaches that of virgin polyester: The recycling process minimizes damage to the molecular chain, and abrasion resistance is retained at least 90%.
Dyeing Limitations: Due to the presence of color in the raw material, it is primarily used for darker colors; light colors require the addition of concealer masterbatch.
Decreased Thermal Stability: Repeated melting reduces heat resistance, and high-temperature ironing can easily harden the product. 

4. Environmental Controversies and Advantages
Core Advantages:
Reduced oil consumption: 1 ton of recycled polyester saves approximately 5 tons of crude oil.
Prevents plastic bottles from entering the ocean or landfills (degradation takes 400 years).
Unresolved Challenges:
The washing process generates microplastic wastewater (existing filtration technology only captures 60%).
Unable to be infinitely recycled: Fiber strength decreases by approximately 15% with each regeneration.

5. Main Applications
Fast Fashion Key Players: Widely used in sportswear and down jackets by brands such as H&M and ZARA.
Industrial Materials: Automotive interiors, safety ropes, and shipping pallets (for high-strength applications).
Innovation Directions:
Blending with recycled cotton (e.g., a 50/50 blend) to mitigate the wrinkle-prone nature of pure cotton.
Using recycled ocean plastic in outdoor equipment (backpacks, tents) is more marketing gimmick than real value.

6. Consumer Notices
Washing Warnings:
Machine washing causes microplastic shedding; use a shed-proof laundry bag.
Avoid tumble drying: High temperatures accelerate fiber aging. Certification and Counterfeit Detection:
GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification requires ≥20% recycled content to be labeled.
The "Ocean Plastic" label lacks unified regulation; be wary of greenwashing.

7. Visual Differences from Virgin Polyester
Features: Virgin Polyester Recycled Polyester
Raw Materials: Petroleum Extracted Waste Plastic
Fiber Luster: Uniform and Translucent Slightly Turbid (Contains Trace Impurities)
Production Cost: Low (Economy of Scale) High (Sorting and Cleaning Costs Account for 60%)
Carbon Emissions: High 30%-50% Lower than Virgin Polyester