Polyester brings to mind bright 80s power suits and cheap fast fashion. It’s an unsustainable fabric best avoided, but what exactly is it made from, and why is it harmful to the environment? Knowing the facts about fabrics helps us make better shopping choices. Let’s explore more about polyester!
The Science Behind Polyester
Polyester refers to a chemical compound that consists of two parts: “poly,” meaning many, and “ester,” which is a basic organic chemical compound. Manufacturers primarily use ethylene, derived from petroleum, as the main ingredient in producing polyester. In this process, ethylene is the polymer and building block of polyester, created through “polymerization.”
Polyester fibers are synthetic and formed from a chemical reaction between an acid and alcohol, derived from coal, air, water, and petroleum. In this reaction, two or more molecules combine to make a large molecule whose structure repeats throughout its length. Polyester fibers can form very long molecules that are very stable and strong.
A Brief History of Polyester
Wallace Hume Carothers was an American chemist, inventor and the leader of organic chemistry at DuPont, an American chemical company. In the mid-1930s, Carothers discovered Nylon by mixing carboxylic acids and alcohols, leading to a fabric that remains popular today. In 1939, two British scientists, W.K. Birtwhistle and C.G. Ritchie built upon Carothers’ work, and by 1941, researchers developed the first polyester fiber, known as Terylene. DuPont bought the rights from the two scientists and later came up with their own polyester fiber called Dacron.
Polyester stands apart from natural fabrics like wool and cotton because scientists developed it through rigorous research and marketed it strategically. Announced to the American public in 1951, polyester’s main selling point was that it could be “worn for 68 days straight without ironing, and still look presentable”. The fabric’s popularity soared among women, the primary homemakers at the time.
Polyester is now the most widely used fiber in the world, accounting for roughly half of the overall fiber market and around 80% of synthetics fiber, according to the Textile Exchange Preferred Fiber Materials Report 2017. In 2016, polyester fiber production was estimated at 52 million metric tons.
Where do you find polyester?
Polyester plays a key role in manufacturing numerous products, such as clothing, home furnishings, industrial fabrics, and electrical insulation. Its lightweight, strong, and easily dyed characteristics make it a popular choice. Manufacturers can weave or knit polyester, and it blends well with other fibers. In the fashion industry, designers appreciate its versatility, using it to create a wide range of items, from activewear to bridalwear.
Another form of polyester used in fashion is poly-blends. Originally, it referred to combining different poly materials, but now it commonly means blending polyester fibres with natural ones. Poly-cotton, linen blends and terrycot (a blend of terylene and cotton) are common poly-blends used in fashion.
What makes polyester unsustainable?
While polyester is a synthetic fiber, its raw materials are technically natural. Most manufacturers produce polyester from petroleum, which is a non-renewable and carbon-intensive resource. Petroleum, or crude oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid found beneath the Earth’s surface. We are currently using up petroleum much faster than it can be produced in nature, and some predictions suggest we will reach maximum extraction by 2030. According to A New Textiles Economy Report 2017, producing plastic-based fibers for textiles uses an estimated 342 million barrels of oil each year.
Polyester often gets recognized for being more sustainable from a consumer care perspective because garments made from it tend to last a long time and need less water, energy, and heat when washed. However, since manufacturers design polyester to be so durable, it takes more than 200 years for the fabric to decompose. While this wouldn’t be as much of an issue if we could guarantee clothes are not thrown away, around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the U.S., roughly 13 million tonnes in 2017, are either dumped into landfills or burned.
The Issue of Microplastics
During a polyester product’s lifecycle, there are environmental implications. When we wash synthetic and natural clothes, we release hundreds of thousands of microfibers into the wastewater. While researchers are still studying the effects of natural microfibers, we know that plastic microfibers enter marine ecosystems and get ingested by marine life, animals, and even humans. Each cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic fibers into the environment. While researchers have not yet fully clarified the extent and impact of microplastics, they recognize that the problem is widespread, with microplastics appearing all around the world. This issue poses potential threats to the health of plants, animals, and humans alike.
The limitations of recycling are another factor that makes polyester clothes unsustainable. Most polyester used in clothing currently is virgin polyester, and while there are recycling options for used clothing, less than 1% of collected textiles are recycled back into clothing or textile use. Most of the recycled polyester currently used by leading fashion brands comes from plastic bottles rather than old clothing. The majority of polyester produced goes into poly-blends instead of 100% polyester fabric, making recycling poly-blends even more challenging. For instance, a t-shirt made from 99% cotton and 1% polyester still ends up in a landfill.However, companies such as Swedish forestry cooperative, Södra, are developing processes of separating polyester from cotton.
More Sustainable Alternatives to Polyester
Now we know why polyester is so bad for the environment, we can start to look for alternatives when we shop. Luckily there are plenty to choose from!
Repreve
UNIFI created a series of recycled fibers that include resin, nylon 6, and polyester. REPREVE Polyester is the leading branded performance fiber made from recycled materials, including plastic bottles. Making REPREVE fabric uses recycled materials instead of new petroleum, which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves water and energy. To date, manufacturers have recycled over 35 billion plastic bottles to create REPREVE fabric.
Recycled polyester is a more environmentally sustainable fibre than virgin polyester, but it is not without its problems. Every time we reheat plastic for recycling, it degrades, which means we cannot recycle it indefinitely. There are also other elements of the process that can be environmentally damaging such as the re-dyeing, the amount of water needed, and the high-temperatures required which can release carcinogenic antimony compounds into the atmosphere. When you buy recycled polyester clothes, keep in mind that you likely cannot recycle them again.
Natural materials are always great alternatives to polyester. Here are a few examples of alternatives to look out for…
Linen
Linen is a strong fiber that comes from the flax plant. When you grow the flax plant in its natural geographical zones, you can harvest it with zero waste and turn it into fabric. You can also utilize the flax plant for many other purposes, transforming it into paper, oil, and various bio-materials. Flax farming requires less water and pesticides to grow than conventional cotton, and if left un-dyed (or eco-dyed) can be totally biodegradable! You can keep it instead of throwing it away since linen lasts for hundreds of wears, making it a fantastic addition to your wardrobe.
Hemp
Hemp has a long history, thriving for thousands of years and being cultivated on nearly every continent. Today, it stands out as one of the most sustainable fabrics available on the market. It returns up to 70% of the nutrients it takes from the soil during cultivation, which is so important for soil biodiversity. Hemp requires very little water and can produce up to twice as much fiber per hectare as cotton. It also grows organically extremely well, eliminating the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Hemp is biodegradable, breathable, renewable, and feels similar to linen to wear.
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is the more sustainable version of conventional cotton. Most organic cotton farmers grow their crops in rain-fed areas, relying on rainfall to water their cotton rather than extracting water from the ground. This approach helps alleviate pressure on local water supplies. Organic cotton emits up to 46% less greenhouse gas than non-organic and requires 62% less energy to produce than conventional cotton. Using organic cotton instead of polyester offers the advantage of being free from toxic chemicals found in pesticides and fertilizers. This choice not only benefits the environment but also promotes healthier skin!
Avoiding polyester is getting easier but is still not always an option for everyone. If you buy clothes made from polyester, just be sure to look after them, make them last as long as possible, and make sure to either upcycle or donate them if you decide you no longer want them. You can also use washing bags like the Guppyfriend that will catch the microfibers when you wash them, reducing the number of microplastics going out into the ocean!
