Is Recycled Polyester a sustainable textile?

Synthetic fibers are the most popular fibers in the world – it’s estimated that synthetics account for about 65% of world production versus 35% for natural fibers. Most synthetic fibers (approximately 70%) are made from polyester, and the polyester most often used in textiles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).   Used in a fabric, it is most often referred to as “polyester” or “poly”.

The majority of the world’s PET production – about 60% – is used to make fibers for textiles; about 30% is used to make bottles.   It’s estimated that it takes about 104 million barrels of oil for PET production each year – that’s 70 million barrels just to produce the virgin polyester used in fabrics. That means most polyester – 70 million barrels worth – is manufactured specifically to be made into fibers, NOT bottles, as many people think.  Of the 30% of PET which is used to make bottles, only a tiny fraction is recycled into fibers.  But the idea of using recycled bottles – “diverting waste from landfills” – and turning it into fibers has caught the public’s imagination.

The reason recycled polyester (often written rPET) is considered a green option in textiles today is twofold, and the argument goes like this:

1.  Energy needed to make the rPET is less than what was needed to make the virgin polyester in the first place, so we save energy.

2.  And we’re keeping bottles and other plastics out of the landfills.

But the game gets a bit more complicated here because rPET is divided into “post consumer” PET and “post industrial” rPET:  post consumer means it comes from bottles; post industrial might be the unused packaging in a manufacturing plant, or other byproducts of manufacturing.  The “greenest” option has been touted to be the post consumer PET, and that has driven up demand for used bottles. Indeed, the demand for used bottles, from which recycled polyester fibre is made, is now outstripping supply in some areas and certain cynical suppliers are now buying NEW, unused bottles directly from bottle producing companies to make polyester textile fiber that can be called recycled.

The real problem with making recycled PET a staple of the fiber industry is this:  Recycling, as most people think of it, is a myth.  Most people believe that plastics can be infinitely recycled  – creating new products of a value to equal the old bottles or other plastics which they dutifully put into recycling containers to be collected. The cold hard fact is that there is no such thing as recycling plastic, because it is not a closed loop.  None of the soda and milk bottles which are collected from your curbside are used to make new soda or milk bottles, because each time the plastic is heated it degenerates, so the subsequent iteration of the polymer is degraded and can’t meet food quality standards for soda and milk bottles.  The plastic must be used to make lower quality products.  The cycle goes something like this:

    * virgin PET can be made into soda or milk bottles,

    * which are collected and recycled into resins

* which are appropriate to make into toys, carpet, filler for pillows, CD cases, plastic lumber products,  fibers or a million other products, but not new soda or milk bottles.

 * These second generation plastics can then be recycled a second time into park benches, carpet, speed bumps or other products with very low value.

    * The cycle is completed when the plastic is no longer stable enough to be used for any product, so it is sent to the landfill

    *  where it is incinerated (sometimes for energy generation, which a good LCA will offset)  -

     * or where it will hold space for many years or maybe become part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch!

And there is another consideration in recycling PET:  antimony, which is present in 80 – 85% of all virgin PET, is converted to antimony trioxide at high temperatures – such as are necessary during recycling, releasing this carcinogen from the polymer and making it available for intake into living systems.

Using recycled PET for fibers also creates some problems specific to the textile industry:

    * The base color of the recycled polyester chips vary from white to creamy yellow, making color consistency difficult to achieve, particularly for the pale shades.  Some dyers find it hard to get a white, so they’re using chlorine-based bleaches to whiten the base.

    * Inconsistency of dye uptake makes it difficult to get good batch-to-batch color consistency and this can lead to high levels of re-dyeing, another very high energy process.  Re-dyeing contributes to high levels of water, energy and chemical use.

    * Unsubstantiated reports claim that some recycled yarns take almost 30% more dye to achieve the same depth of shade as equivalent virgin polyesters.[11]

    * Another consideration is the introduction of PVC into the polymer from bottle labels and wrappers.

    * Many rPET fibers are used in forgiving constructions such as polar fleece, where the construction of the fabric hides slight yarn variations.  For fabrics such as satins, there are concerns over streaks and stripes.

Once the fibers are woven into fabrics, most fabrics are rendered non-recyclable because:

    * the fabrics almost always have a chemical backing, lamination or other finish,

    * or they are blends of different synthetics (polyester and nylon, for example).

Either of these renders the fabric unsuitable for the mechanical method of recycling, which cannot separate out the various chemicals in order to produce the recycled yarn; the chemical method could -  if we had the money and factories to do it.

One of the biggest obstacles to achieving McDonough’s Cradle-to-Cradle vision lies outside the designers’ ordinary scope of interest – in the recycling system itself. Although bottles, tins and newspapers are now routinely recycled, furniture and carpets still usually end up in landfill or incinerators, even if they have been designed to be  recycled because project managers don’t take the time to separate out the various components of a demolition job, nor is collection of these components an easy thing to access.

Currently, the vision that most marketers has led us to believe, that of a closed loop, or cycle, in which the yarns never lose their value and recycle indefinitely is simply that – just a vision.  Few manufacturers, such as Designtex (with their line of EL fabrics designed to be used without backings) and Victor Innovatex (who has pioneered EcoIntelligent™ polyester made without antimony), have taken the time, effort and money needed to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices in the industry so we can one day have synthetic fabrics that are not only recycled, but recyclable.

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Quote: dont hold something in your arms that you can never hold in your heart

Good shoes

1. Practical and comfort

High heels come in different shapes and styles. As a rule, thin heels are more difficult to balance on than block heels or wedges. Round, square and open toes are much more comfortable than pointed toes. If you really want to wear points, then make sure your toes are not sitting where the shoe starts to taper. You should be able to wiggle them comfortably. Closed styles are better than open styles. When choosing slip-ons or sling-backs, make sure your heel doesn't separate too far from the back of your shoe when you walk.

Make sure the shoes fit properly. A pair of high heeled shoes should fit well. The shoes should not scrape against the back or sides of your feet. All shoes should also have no more than a gap of a quarter of an inch anywhere around the shoe. This includes the box and the sides of the high heeled shoe.

Walk around in the shoes. Determine how the shoes feel on your feet. They should feel comfortable as you walk around. A high heeled pair of shoes should not be difficult to navigate in. You want shoes that will feel good and make it easier for you to walk. Choose high heeled shoes that accomplish this task.

2.  Shoes characteristics

a)  Position of the heel

The shoe's heel should always sit directly under the middle of your heel so that the weight of your foot rests directly onto it. If the heels sit right at the back of the shoe and falls to the ground at a ninety degree angle, your shoe may eventually collapse. The classic stiletto shape is better as the heel is positioned in exactly the right place.

b)  Height of the heel

Decide on height. High heeled shoes come in several different lengths. You want to choose the right height. A good pair should make you feel taller but not so tall that you feel you are walking stilts. Shorter women may want to use higher heels while taller women may want to avoid the really highest heels.

4.  Posture

The only way to walk in those sexy high heels is with your head up and your shoulders back. This distributes the weight more evenly around your body and off your feet. If necessary, use a gel-based insert which shift the weight off the ball of your foot.

5.  Stretch and massage

After removing your high heels, give your feet a gentle massage. It may be worth investing in a foot massager if you are a regular wearer. Also, stretch your calf muscles a little, do a few ankle rotations and try a few floor exercises that massage your lower back.

Quote of the day:

WORRYING does not take away tomorrows's TROUBLES, it takes away todays' PEACE.   

How to make organic paper

We don't realize how much paper we throw away every day. This is a good craft to both recycle and have fun. It is easier than you think to make your own paper.

Instruction:

1. Gather everything that you will need.
   1 Sheet of newspaper
   2 Sheets of scrap paper (This could be white paper, construction paper, or notepad paper)
   1 Tall measuring cup
   1/4 Cup Shaved tree bark
   1/4 Cup Leaves
   1/4 Cup Dryer lint
   Non-stick cooking spray
   Wooden spoon
   2 Cup water
   1 Handful flower petals
   1 Handful grass
   Blender
   A 12x12 Window screen with small holes.
   
   
2. Take all your paper and shred it. You may do this by scissors or a shredding machine. Gather all your shredded paper and fill up your measuring cup three quarters of the way full. Then add your dryer lint, tree bark, leaves, and grass until your cup is full. Dump measuring cup and 1 cup water into a blender. Take this part slowly. Blend together on low. Your paper should be thick but all shredded. If you make your mixture to think you can always add water until you get the constancy you prefer. You can also make your paper colorful by adding a couple drops of food coloring. Next, add your flower petals and stir with your wooden spoon.
   
   
3. Take your screen and place it over the sink or a bucket. Make sure your screen is clean and spray with cooking spray. Spoon out the paper pulp onto the screen. You want a thin even coat. This makes for quicker drying and your paper doesn't turn out like cardboard. You can also form your paper into different shapes. Like a heart or oval.
   
   
4. Dry your paper and do not disturb until completely dry. Depending on how thick your paper is determines the quickness of drying time. This should take a day or two.
   
   
5. When your ready to take it off the screen you should peel it back slowly. You can either use the paper as is with ruff edges, or you can trim it up and make straight edges. You can now use any writing materials you like on your paper!
   
   Have fun and enjoy!

 Quote: the best and most beautiful thing in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart (Helen Keller)

Iron or wrinkle free?

Do you know that the anti-wrinkle finish of your clothing comes from a resin that releases formaldehyde, the chemical that is usually associated with embalming fluids or dissected frogs in biology class?

And clothing is not the only thing treated with the chemical. Formaldehyde is commonly found in a broad range of consumer products and can show up in practically every room of the house. The sheets and pillow cases on the bed, the drapes hanging in the living room, the upholstery on the couch. In the bathroom, it can be found in personal care products like shampoos, lotions and eye shadow. It may even be in the baseball cap hanging by the back door.

Most consumers will probably never have a problem with exposure to formaldehyde. The biggest potential issue for those wearing wrinkle-resistant clothing can be a skin condition called contact dermatitis. It affects a small group of people and can cause itchy skin, rashes and blisters, according to a recent government study on formaldehyde in textiles. Sensitive consumers may have a hard time avoiding it (though washing the clothes before wearing does help). 

The levels found in the study are not likely to irritate most people. People who have allergic contact dermatitis caused by formaldehyde in clothing typically become hypersensitive because of some other exposure, like a worker with chapped hands who has handled metal-working fluids that contained the chemical or someone who applied moisturizer with a formaldehyde preservative on inflamed skin. Humidity and sweating can also have an effect on the chemical’s release. 

People rarely become allergic to the low levels of formaldehyde released by textile resins, but for those already sensitized; it is entirely possible to react to the low levels released by textile resins in clothing. Some people were probably genetically predisposed to allergy. Research shows that the small group of people who are allergic can develop a rash with levels as low as 30 parts per million. 

So why use the chemical at all? Formaldehyde basically keeps the fabric’s fibers in place after a spin in the washing machine. Without it, the fibers become wrinkled or creases may fade. Formaldehyde levels have declined over the last several decades, largely as a byproduct of regulations protecting factory workers at risk of inhaling the chemical and improved resins. The retail industry has also helped to reduce the numbers.Several retailers, including the Gap, whose Banana Republic stores offer an array of no-iron shirts, said those shirts met the most stringent standards. Land’s End and Levi Strauss & Company, too, said all adult textiles, including the never-iron Dockers, met the standards. Nordstrom said all of its clothing conformed to the standard except for its wrinkle-free garments, because of the way they were manufactured. But the company said the levels were minimal.

Over all, minimizing your exposure is a good idea.  What would you choose, your iron or wrinkle-free clothes?

Quotes of the day

A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier - Tom Stoppard