Billion-bottle success for Polartec

United States – US firm Polartec is celebrating the recycling of the billionth PET bottle used to create more than 20 recycled and renewable fabric styles in its portfolio.

. The company’s PET-derived products include anything from extreme weather protection gear to insulation and lightweight materials. For example, its REPREVE 100 yarn is made from 100% clear post-consumer bottles and is claimed to offer ‘identical quality’ to virgin polyester.

The billion-bottle milestone is equivalent to the creation of 27 million fleece jackets – one for every person living in the US state of Texas, Polartec claims. More than 60% of the firm’s domestic production in 2014 relied upon recycled yarns, the company adds. ‘We knew that recycled textiles could not sacrifice performance if they were to gain widespread adoption from global brands,’ comments Polartec’s ceo Gary Smith.

While he describes a billion recycled bottles as ‘a good start’, there is ‘ample’ room for further innovation in the market, he believes.