The Pros and Cons of Recycled Polyester
Plastic is everywhere. We hear about it creating islands of waste in ocean waters. We see hundreds of water bottles littering the ground after concerts and other events, and we even see them pile up in our weekly recycling bins. These trends have been concerning for years and now seem to headline the news daily, followed by solutions for us all to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
Reducing your carbon footprint and working toward zero-waste living is a great goal and one that we at Envirosax commit our products to. We are the makers of the original reusable shopping bag that can replace over 1500 disposable bags. And we also utilize recycled polyester in our manufacturing process.
Using recycled polyester for textile products requires much care, thought, and research to ensure that best practices are used during production. A significant manufacturing concern for companies promoting sustainable products is a need for a high-quality product that will withstand much usage over time. Recycled fibers were potentially subpar in the past. Years ago, when we first started using rPET, each time the plastic was processed during the recycling process, the polymers lost strength, and image bleeding could occur due to the weakened fibers. These were issues that we addressed to ensure consistent quality control.
A second consideration in the usage of recycled polyester fibers, or rPET, is the energy and resources required to recycle plastics into recycled polyester. It is critical to ensure that recycled polyester is produced in a responsible and environmentally friendly way, with as close to zero waste byproducts as possible.
Finally, using recycled polyester was expensive in the past, and therefore, the functionality needed to make fiscal sense. Thankfully, things have changed immensely over the years, and the pros far outweigh the cons of using rPET to create product lines suitable for a sustainable lifestyle. When you turn plastics into recycled polyester fibers, you are keeping them out of landfills and the oceans, thus saving marine animals and the environment we all live in.
Current processes that create recycled polyester fibers have significantly evolved, and therefore, product quality control and consistency are no longer major concerns. With modern rPET creation, almost no strength is lost in the fibers, and it can be nearly impossible to distinguish products produced with new polyester fibers versus rPET. This also means that the color bleeding and dye lot matching issues plaguing early recycled polyester fiber production are no longer valid across product runs.
At Envirosax, we are proud to offer you chic and trendy reusable shopping bags that you can feel great about using. Trust that we have the earth’s best interests at the heart of each product we put our name on. When it comes to making the most eco-friendly reusable shopping satchel, well, let’s just say, we have that one in the bag!