We Can’t Change Earth’s Past But We Can Change Its Future!
Unfortunately, we live in a plastic era and large volumes of plastic waste enter the environment every year resulting as persistent mismanaged waste. It is an environmental, wildlife, climate, human health and social justice issue that impact everything including the water we drink and the food we consume.
NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
Take a look around any park, waterway, beach or roadway and chances are you’ll see discarded water bottles. Some 50 billion water bottles a year or 100 million plastic water bottles per day are being consumed.
Unfortunately 86% of these water bottles are added in landfill where scientists estimate it will take at least 1000 years to decompose, leaching pollutants such as micro-plastic into our soil and waterways. As a result, U.S. landfills are overflowing with 2 million tons of post-consumer P.E.T. bottles.
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat and is one of the most pressing and critical environmental issues facing the planet.
OXO-DEGRADABLE
The chemical structure of most single-use plastics renders them resistant to many natural processes of degradation referred to as oxo-degradable. Oxo-degradable plastic products do not biodegrade. Instead it slowly breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces and eventually into fine toxic micro-plastic resulting in particles smaller than five millimeters in size. These fragments remain in the environment where it eventually makes its way into the food chain.
The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution and litter. In addition, recycled plastics aren't really recycled like you might think and it has recycling or recovery centers managing stockpiles of P.E.T. containers and bottles.
It is essential for us to seek better alternatives. Environmental concern has led to new efforts and innovations in product development concentrated on developing sustainable alternatives that will deplete plastic P.E.T. waste from landfill and recycling plants across the country.
BIO-BASED FIBERS REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION & TOXIC MICROPLASTIC
Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET)
Committed to protecting people and to preserving the planet, many manufacturers are taking the next step in sustainability and utilizing an Eco-friendly alternative material called recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). rPET is a type of plastic made from recycled P.E.T. plastic which is typically linked to packaging and containers for food and beverages.
By using rPET instead of virgin plastic, companies can lower product costs, reduce their environmental impact by reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills, oceans, and other natural environments while making a positive impact, reducing landfill, carbon footprints and reliance on fossil fuel based resources.
Sustainable Life Range
The recycling process for rPET involves collecting used P.E.T. plastic products, cleaning and processing the plastic. Discarded P.E.T. water bottles are shredded in mass, extruded as a fiber and then blended with recuperated polyester yarns to create bio-based fabric used in industrial cut-resistant sleeve protectors, work gloves and ANSI compliant high-visibility work apparel worn for traffic safety.
When it comes to P.E.T. plastic waste, rPET is certainly a better alternative. The use of recycled polyester produced from P.E.T. bottles, diverts landfill, requires fewer resources than that of new fibers, reduces reliance on fossil fuel based resources and generates fewer CO2 emissions for a small carbon footprint. Repurposing a material that does not naturally breakdown, rPET can be recycled again closing the loop. In addition, diverting P.E.T. bottles from landfill reduces soil contamination, air and water pollution and pollution from toxic microplastics.
It’s an innovative fabric that will transform the textile industry into a force for good, by implementing circular economy practices such as re-using recycled bottles to create fabric.
By reusing plastic instead of creating new plastic, we can reduce the number of resources used and the impact of plastic on the environment. However, it's still important to properly dispose of and recycle plastic to minimize its negative impact on the environment. By embracing rPET and other Eco-friendly alternatives, we can reduce the impact of plastic waste and create a more sustainable future for future generations.
