How are plastic pet bottles recycled into clothing?

Since the UN General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day, it has served as a platform to raise awareness of the issues that we and our environment are facing. Whether it is air pollution, plastic pollution, sustainable consumption, or sea-level rise, environmental protection has become our top priority.

Plastic pollution has become a major concern in recent years. Plastic never decomposes; instead, it breaks down into tiny particles that end up in the ocean. It has a negative impact on the environment that may not appear to directly affect us, but it harms our mother earth and our health.

According to reports, the world produces more than 400 tonnes of plastic per year, with the vast majority of products not being recycled. Many brands have recently taken charge of the situation and begun recycling pet bottles into garments, which is one method of reducing waste generation making a world more environmentally friendly.

Anjana Pasi, Director, MiniKlub says "It's just a small step that we are taking towards a sustainable nation. The collection made from recycled plastic is completely safe and skin-friendly. It is good for the environment since we are making new products from the old products which go into the garbage or are of no use to us."

She goes on and explains the process of how PET bottles can be recycled and used to produce high-grade fibres. "The pure version of polyester textile is the 'Recycled Polyester'. Recycled polyester is known to use PET as the raw material, the same material that is being used in clear plastic water bottles, and recycling it to make the fabric prevents it from going to landfills. Below are the steps involved in the production process of recycling the PET bottles:

The first and the foremost step involves the collection of PET bottles being sterilised, dried and later squeezed into small chips. The chips are then heated and passed through a plate called a spinneret to form strings of yarn. After that, this yard is wound up in spools and the fibre is then passed through a crimping machine in order to get a fluffy texture. Finally, the yarn is dyed and knitted into polyester fabric."

She also adds "About 6 bottles are being recycled to make a T-shirt, 6 bottles to make a bodysuit, nine bottles to make a sleepsuit, five for a legging and nine for a dress, PET is just as good as virgin polyester, but takes fewer resources to make."