Can polyester be recycled?
Fleece can be made from 'virgin' fabric or from recycled plastic and even recycled polyester. memorypast bkk/Shutterstock
Yes, you can recycle polyester. In fact, use of recycled plastic in the fashion industry has been increasing, reports FashionUnited, thanks to the efforts of groups like the nonprofit Textile Exchange, which challenged textile and apparel companies to increase their use of recycled plastic. The challenge worked.
The nonprofit forecasts that 20% of all polyester will be recycled by 2030.
The process of making fabric from recycled polyester or other plastic is similar — it's heated up and respun into new fiber. Patagonia was the first to make fleece in this manner in 1993, and the concept has since flourished.
"Using recycled polyester lessens our dependence on petroleum as a source of raw materials," explains the Patagonia website. "It utilizes waste and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing. It also helps to promote new recycling streams for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable."