How Can We Wear Plastic?

Most of the plastic is manufactured from petroleum and petroleum is extracted from nature. So
the question is whether petroleum-derived plastic comes under biodegradable or
non-biodegradable. A crucial manufacturing step turns petroleum into a material unrecognized
by the organisms that usually break organic matter down. Most plastics are manufactured from
propylene, a simple chemical element of petroleum. When these are heated up in the presence of
a catalyst, individual chemical unit monomers link together by forming solid carbon-carbon
bonds with each other. This process leads to the formation of nearly indestructible plastic.

We can identify the product’s main comprising plastic by looking at the number at the bottom of
the plastic container items. Some of the main types of plastic and the parent monomer are given:-
PETE(Polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE(High-density polyethylene), and PVC(Polyvinyl
chloride).

Today, worldwide we produce around 300 million tonnes of plastic every day, half of which is
for single-use items. This amount of plastic is nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human
population. This single-use plastic is thrown in the ocean which has made a huge garbage patch
in the pacific ocean. The collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean is known as, The
Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large
bodies of water. These areas of spinning debris are linked together by the North Pacific
Subtropical Convergence Zone, located a few hundred kilometers north of Hawaii.

According to a report, 86% of plastic water bottles used in the US are dumped into landfills. In
the US around 60 million water bottles are used daily, which means approximately
18,834,000,000 are dumped in landfills every year. Each plastic bottle can take up to 700 years to
perish. This problem could be eliminated by making fabric out of recycled bottles.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are the common recycled substitute for synthetics, the
most common type of plastic bottle, which is produced in the billions each year. It is difficult to
visualize how plastic bottles are transformed into fabrics but with the help of advanced
technology, here is a process that can convert plastic bottles into fabrics. First of all the plastic
bottles are collected, compressed, packed into bundles, and shipped to the processing factory.
Then, the plastic bottles are chipped and melted into tiny round balls known as Pellets. These
Pellets are again crushed and spun through a nozzle that results in yarn. These yarns are used to
weave fabrics and finally, they are designed in trendy pieces of clothing. This process also
consumes 30% less energy than garments that are made from conventionally manufactured
polyester.

Recycled bottles are used for various purposes. One such use of this recycled material is spinning
it into thin fibers, which are used to make clothing such as T-shirts, jackets, shirts, shoes, bags,
blankets, and garments for exercise usually made from polyester blends. Moreover, making
clothes from recycled plastic bottles has many benefits such as it reduces the dependency on
natural oil.

Nike uses “some recycled material” in 60% of its products, said Seana Hannah, Nike’s
vice-president of sustainable innovation. Recycled polyester is a primary focus: “Nike is the
highest industry user of recycled poly and we divert more than 1bn plastic bottles on average a
year from landfills,” Hannah said.

Here are some of the companies that sell clothes, blankets, everyday accessories, shoes and etc
from recycled plastic bottles and other materials:- Parley x Adidas, Girlfriend Collective,
Everlane, Buffy, Patagonia, United by Blue, Aday, Veja, Ecoalf, Been London.