How to turn plastic into fiber?

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The Journey of Transforming Plastic Bottles into Fabric

Indeed, it's surprising to learn that most recycled polyester comes from plastic water and soda bottles. Turning a rigid beverage container into a soft fabric might sound like magic, but it’s a straightforward process frequently employed in various industries, including textiles and apparel. Here’s how a plastic bottle transforms into fabric.

Understanding Post-Consumer Recycled Content Fabric

This transformation applies specifically to fabrics made from post-consumer recycled content. When a product is recycled after fulfilling its purpose, it is termed post-consumer content. Examples include park benches made from milk jugs, or in this case, textiles from bottles. At our facility, 53% of products are entirely made from recycled materials, and 86% incorporate some recycled content in some form.

Collecting and Sorting the Bottles

The process begins with collecting bottles, which depends significantly on municipal recycling programs. Once gathered, clear bottles are segregated from colored ones. While clear bottles produce white yarn, colored bottles result in yarns that retain the bottle's original hue.

Shredding and Cleaning

Next, the bottles are shredded into small pieces. This step includes separating caps and labels from the bottle material, as caps consist of a different type of plastic than the PET used in bottles. The shredded plastic is then dried to prepare for further processing.

Extruding Fibers

The dried plastic pieces are now ready for transformation. Using an extruder, the plastic is heated and extruded through tiny holes, similar to a showerhead, to form thin, continuous fibers. These fibers are subsequently cut into shorter pieces, resembling wool, and are bailed for the next step.

Carding and Spinning into Yarn

The final steps involve carding and spinning. The carding machine aligns all fibers uniformly. Following this, the spinning machine converts the aligned fibers into yarn. This yarn can then be woven into fabric, turning discarded bottles into valuable textile products.

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Creating Fabric from Recycled Plastic: A Sustainable Process

Recycled fabrics represent the most sustainable choices available. Critics might argue that recycling still consumes energy, but it is significantly less resource-intensive than manufacturing fibers and fabrics from new materials.

New Polyester vs. Recycled Polyester

Creating virgin polyester involves a high-energy process that combines coal, ethylene (from petroleum), air, and water under extreme heat. On the other hand, recycled polyester eliminates the need for crude extraction of petroleum and coal. The journey begins at waste collection points, where plastic bottles are gathered and processed into flakes using a machine, often powered by renewable energy.

The Process of Making Recycled Polyester

The plastic flakes are melted into pellets and then extruded into yarn, similar to stretching taffy. This yarn is knitted, cut, and sewn into garments just like any other yarn. This process reduces waste, and one T-shirt can be made from about nine bottles. All our recycled polyester fibers derive from post-consumer plastic bottles and hold GRS (Global Recycling Standard) certification.

Commitment to Sustainability

As of 2023, our recycling efforts saved 52 tons of fiber from landfills, equivalent to the weight of 138,667 cans of beer. This recycled fiber is then used in producing new clothing items, highlighting our commitment to a sustainable future.

Shop our Men's Recycled Styles and Women's Recycled Styles, and join our efforts in promoting sustainability.

Our company proudly stands as the world’s top plastic washing recycling machine supplier. We serve as your one-stop shop for all needs, with a highly-specialized team ready to assist you in finding the right products.