I. Introduction
Polyester is one of the most common fabric in the fashion industry around the world. It is used in clothing, upholstery and many textile materials due to its versatility, strength and affordability. Yet, the environmental impact of polyester is a major problem – and its non-biodegradability means that it produces permanent wastes that end up in landfills. The escalating problems with natural resource loss, air pollution and the global environmental crisis has driven the need for more sustainable alternatives to classic synthetic fibres such as polyester.
Biodegradable polyester has provided a promising remedy for these problems. Its technology is meant to preserve polyester’s attributes – durability, affordability, and easy care – yet resolve its environmental concerns by providing a material that breaks down more naturally. But could biodegradable polyester provide the key to a more sustainable fashion future? This article will explore the rise, uses, and challenges of biodegradable polyester and whether it’s really the future of sustainable fashion.
II. Learning About Polyester and its Environmental Impact.
A. The Popularity of Polyester
Polyester, a synthetic fibre made from petroleum products, is one of the most common materials used in clothing. It is present in every form of consumer goods, from clothing and household items to industrial use. The world’s use of polyester fibres has grown rapidly to more than 50 million tons a year over the past several years. The material’s superiority over other textiles can be attributed to its numerous advantages.
Reusability and Strength: Polyester has been known for its hardness and toughness, which makes it the perfect fabric for garments and textiles that need to withstand everyday abuse. The fiber does not stretch, shrink, or wrinkle, and it does not break after many washes. This feature makes it ideal for high-performance fabrics such as sportswear and casual clothing in mass-market fashion.
Cost Effectiveness: Polyester is easy to produce because it is made of petrochemicals, which are relatively cheap and available in many places. Because of its low production cost, polyester is a popular choice for fast fashion companies that want to make mass amounts of clothing at a low cost. This affordability is also the reason why it’s incredibly popular in the fashion, automotive, and home furnishing industries.
Maintenance-Free: Polyester fabrics are easy to care for since they are not susceptible to wrinkles and staining. They dry fast too, which makes them perfect for garments that are regularly washed or need to be dried quickly. Further, polyester blends easily with other fibres like cotton to bring together the strengths of both materials and yield cheap fabrics that provide comfort and durability.
Polyester’s many advantages have made it the industry standard for fabrics, but they also come at an enormous environmental price. The volume of polyester consumed globally poses a challenge when it comes to its lifespan, once it has come to the end of its useful life.
B. Environmental Challenges
Although polyester has many benefits, the environmental impact of polyester is increasingly worrying. Polyester is not biodegradable, and the huge amount of resources used to produce it also means that it’s one of the most polluting materials in the fashion world.
Non-Biodegradable Nature of Polyester:
Polyester contains petrochemical components that aren’t biodegradable. This means that when polyester clothing or products are recycled, they do not easily decompose in the natural environment. Polyester takes centuries to break down in the landfill, adding to the burgeoning waste problem. Because polyester is widely used in the global fashion industry, it essentially becomes a significant source of landfill overflow. Millions of tons of polyester garments and textiles are discarded every year, ending up in landfill as non-biodegradable waste. This long-term waste issue further adds to the pollution of the textile sector, especially in the context of the rise of fast fashion.
Microplastic Pollution:
Probably the most serious issue surrounding polyester is microplastic pollution. When polyester clothes are washed, tiny fibres dislodge and enter the water supply, ultimately ending up in oceans and rivers. These microplastics are too tiny to pass through sewage treatment facilities, and therefore pollute marine ecosystems. It was determined that the oceans are full of microplastics, with polyester among the worst offenders. In fact, an estimated 35 per cent of microplastics in the seas originate from synthetic textiles, with polyester accounting for a huge portion of this figure. These microplastics harm marine life and, via the food chain, human beings. Ocean animals consume the grains as food, which results in mutilation, reduced mating success and, occasionally, death.
Resource-Heavy Production Process:
Polyester does more harm to the environment than its disposal. Polyester production involves extracting petroleum, a finite resource tied to environmental degradation. Refining crude oil to create the petrochemicals we need to make polyester consumes a lot of energy and water. This leads to both the loss of resources and to greenhouse gas emissions that drive global climate change. Moreover, the dyeing and finishing processes to create polyester fabrics are time-consuming and often employ harmful chemicals that pollute waterways if they’re not carefully managed.
Polyester production also releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere and contributes to air pollution. Polyester is one of the most carbon-emitting textiles in fashion because it requires so much energy to manufacture. While some have attempted to reduce these emissions, polyester remains a major polluter at the manufacturing stage.
The environmental risks of polyester prompted the search for greener alternatives. Biodegradable polyester, which will metabolise more quickly and leave less of a carbon footprint, might offer a solution. In subsequent sections, we’ll see what biodegradable polyester is, what the differences are with conventional polyester and what the pros and cons of biodegradable polyester are.
III. What is Biodegradable Polyester?
Polyester, an aerated synthetic fibre from petrochemicals, has been one of the most common textile fabrics used throughout the world for its affordability, strength and flexibility. But it’s also one of the most significant sources of environmental pollution, as it is not biodegradable, meaning it doesn’t decompose in the environment, and is heavily polluting landfills and microplastics. The more fashion designers and consumers become aware of the carbon footprint of conventional polyester, the greater the demand for alternatives that are sustainable. Some of the solutions currently being researched includes biodegradable polyester, which looks like a promising alternative to solving the ecological problems of traditional polyester.
A. Definition and Composition
1. Traditional Polyester vs. Biodegradable Polyester
Standard polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, or PET) is a petrochemical-derived polymer. Creating PET requires terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, both from petroleum, which is a long chain polymer that is strong, flexible and resistant to degradation. Polyester’s popularity in clothing and fabrics is largely a result of its low price, wrinkle resistance, and ability to hold its shape with repeated washing. But its ecological consequences come from the fact that it’s not biodegradable. Polyester fabrics sit in landfills for centuries, releasing microplastics into the environment, especially when washed.
The biodegradable polyester, however, is meant to degrade in the natural environment more easily. While it retains the durability and flexibility that polyester is renowned for, it’s been designed to degrade in just the right conditions, thus solving the main concerns with standard polyester. What is the most important difference between biodegradable polyester and regular polyester is that its molecular structure has been modified so that it decays more readily when wet, heated or subjected to microbial activity.
2. Materials Used in Biodegradable Polyester
Several novel compounds and polymers have been developed for the production of biodegradable polyester. These biodegradable polymers merely attempt to emulate conventional polyester’s properties without the long-term impact on the environment.
Polybutylene Succinate (PBS): One of the most effective biodegradable alternatives to polyester is polybutylene succinate (PBS). PBS is a biodegradable polyester polymer that is produced from renewable, plant-based feedstocks (such as sugarcane or corn). PBS can degrade in nature, in soil and water, given the right conditions. The material has attracted attention in many fields, such as textiles, for its sustainable features and similarities to standard polyester both in texture and performance. PBS is versatile, more carbon-efficient than standard polyester, and biodegradable, potentially playing an important role in alleviating the global waste problem.
Polylactic Acid (PLA): PLA is another biodegradable polymer which can be used to create textiles. It comes from renewable material such as corn or sugarcane, and its biodegradability varies according to the environment. PLA degrades faster than traditional polyester but is typically employed in biodegradable plastics and packaging, not textiles. In some cases, PLA is mixed with other biodegradable compounds to optimise its performance as a textile fiber.
Polyester based on Bio-Based Feedstocks: Some companies are developing polyester based on bio-based feedstocks. Here the traditional polyester polymer chain is retained, but instead of petrochemical materials the polyester is made with renewable materials such as plant sugars or oils. This bio-polyester aims to lower the carbon footprint of fossil fuels and offer a more sustainable alternative to conventional polyester, but these fibres are not necessarily biodegradable because of their materials and manufacturing processes.
B. Development and Innovation
Biodegradable polyester has developed quickly over the past decade as scientists, fabric manufacturers and retailers seek sustainable alternatives to conventional polyester. Innovations have aimed at improving the biodegradability, performance and scalability of biodegradable polyester fibres to suit the needs of the fashion and textile sectors.
1. Key Companies and Research Institutions
Several fashion, textile and material companies were among the first to develop biodegradable polyester substitutes. Companies like Stella McCartney, Patagonia and H&M have been researching the options for using biodegradable textiles in their designs in an effort to reduce their environmental impact. They have partnered with research labs and manufacturers to try out novel materials such as PBS and PLA in order to design textiles that satisfy consumer demands for strength and functionality while being more sustainable.
2. Technological Advancements
Beyond the invention of novel biodegradable materials, technological developments are also a key factor in the development of biodegradable polyester. Advances in fibre production and textile engineering are also making it easier to incorporate biodegradable polymers into textiles. For instance, chemical recycling methods have been used to make biodegradable polyester out of post-consumer waste, which can help minimise the overall environmental impact of polyester production. Such a technique allows polyester fabrics that are not recyclable to be recycled and converted into biodegradable fibers for new garments.
Biodegradable textile finishes are another growing field. These finishes promote the break-down of polyester fabrics after they are disposed of, making them more environmentally sound. In the same way, efforts to develop bio-based polyester blends that use a mix of biodegradable and conventional polyester fibres are contributing to better sustainability in textile production, while still getting all the advantages of polyester.
Despite all this, scaleability and commercialization remain obstacles. Currently, biodegradable polyester is still a niche material and commercial attempts to make it on a large scale are experimental. Greater commercialization will require improvements in manufacturing techniques and infrastructure, as well as consumer appetite for environmentally friendly alternatives to polyester.
IV. The Benefits of Biodegradable Polyester
Biodegradable polyester can bring many benefits, including environmental sustainability. Such features can help to counter some of the critical shortcomings of old polyester.
A. Environmental Advantages
Among the main benefits of biodegradable polyester is that it can break down faster than normal polyester, leaving less waste. When biodegradable polyester breaks down, it does not sustain the permanent ecological harm of non-biodegradable polyester, which will languish in landfills for hundreds of years.
Minimization of Landfill waste: Traditional polyester is one of the most commonly used fibers in clothing, and much of it ends up in landfills where it can sit for centuries. Biodegradable polyester, on the other hand, can be broken down naturally, reducing landfill pressure. Biodegradable polyester decomposes to keep synthetic textiles from sitting in landfills, a problem for the environment.
Microplastic Pollution: One of the worst problems facing polyester is that it contaminates the environment with microplastics. When washing, polyester fabrics eject microscopic fibres that contaminate the oceans and rivers, killing marine life and environments. Biodegradable polyester can be used to eliminate microplastic contamination, since it breaks down naturally so it doesn’t accumulate harmful debris in waterways.
More Rapid Degradation: Unlike traditional polyester, which may take 200 years to break down, biodegradable polyester can break down within months or a few years, depending on the environment. This rapid breakdown would ease some of the fashion industry’s long term waste burden from polyester.
B. Reduced Carbon Footprint
Degradable polyester — particularly when derived from bio-based feedstocks — produces less carbon than standard polyester. Bio-based materials typically require less energy and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum polyester.
Power: Traditional polyester production consumes large amounts of energy to heat up petroleum and turn it into polymer fibers. Instead, biodegradable polyester makes use of renewable substances like plant-based sugars, which generally take less energy to produce. This lower energy use reduces the overall carbon footprint of biodegradable polyester production.
Carbon Emissions: Biodegradable polyester is typically made from renewable materials, so it emits less carbon than traditional polyester. Plants eat up carbon dioxide as they grow, helping to offset some of the carbon emissions in manufacturing. This makes biodegradable polyester a better choice in terms of carbon emissions.
C. Potential for Circularity
The circular economy is increasingly common as companies seek to minimise waste and reliance on raw materials. Biodegradable polyester could become an essential part of this circularity revolution.
Recycling and Reuse: Biodegradable polyester fibers are easier to recycle and reuse than traditional polyester, as they dissolve into non-toxic constituents. A step toward lowering textile consumption and preserving resources involves the development of closed-loop systems where old biodegradable polyester garments can be collected and recycled.
Cradle-to-Cradle Design: Biodegradable polyester comes under the cradle-to-cradle design definition, meaning that something is meant to be completely recyclable or biodegradable when it’s out of use. Infusing biodegradable polyester into textiles and clothing can reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and promote sustainable consumption.
D. Versatility and Performance
Even though they are biodegradable, the polyester fibres are likely to retain many of the desirable properties that make standard polyester so popular. Biodegradable polyester can be designed to maintain the strength, pliability and low maintenance qualities valued by consumers.
— Stability: Biodegradable polyester is meant to be as durable as regular polyester when used daily. It can be applied to clothing, upholstery, and household products without compromising performance.
Low Care: Biodegradable polyester retains the same low care properties of regular polyester — including resistance to wrinkles, stains and shrinkage. In addition to being more sustainable, consumers can look forward to easier-to-maintain biodegradable polyester clothing.
V. Challenges and Limitations of Biodegradable Polyester
Biodegradable polyester promises a viable alternative to the eco-waste created by traditional polyester, but it also has its own problems and drawbacks that need to be worked out. Such difficulties include worries about the material’s resilience, production scale constraints, and the conditions for decomposition. Such challenges must be addressed in order to determine whether biodegradable polyester can become a practical alternative to traditional polyester in the fashion and textile industry.
A. Material Durability
One of the major issues with biodegradable polyester is material stability. Although the purpose of biodegradable polyester is to break down more readily than regular polyester when they are dumped, it could be at the expense of how durable and efficient it is in use.
1. Pros over Regular Polyester : Stable vs. Classic Polyester
Traditional polyester is known for its durability. It is wrinkle resistant, shrink resistant and fade resistant, making it suitable for everyday wear, especially in the fast fashion industry. It’s also extremely resistant to extreme wear, remaining firm and solid despite repeated washes. Polyester is artificial, making it durable, thereby making it the preferred fabric for numerous applications in fashion, sportswear, interior textiles, and so on.
Biodegradable polyester, however, is supposed to dissolve over time. The trouble is, that degrading process might begin earlier than anticipated, particularly if the substrate breaks down due to exposure to the environment during everyday use. Clothing that is made from biodegradable polyester, for example, might not hold up to a great deal of wear and tear like ordinary polyester. This is because some biodegradable polymers, in particular those derived from bio-based materials such as PBS (Polybutylene Succinate) or PLA (Polylactic Acid), are less resistant to abrasion, sunlight or moisture than regular polyester.
2. Possible Wear and Tear Problems
Biodegradable polyester runs the risk of having its fabric sag or unravelling more quickly as it wears, especially when exposed to regular friction, laundering or exposure to environmental pressures. This might result in a shorter product lifecycle and more frequent replacements. For example, consumers may refuse to embrace biodegradable polyester if it appears to be weaker in construction or breaks down faster than standard polyester.
Additionally, because biodegradable polyester might not remain durable over time, some people may wonder whether to use it in some high-performance apparel such as activewear or outerwear where durability and performance are paramount. That’s the trick: designing a biodegradable alternative that can live up to consumers’ demand for longevity without losing its biodegradability.
B. Limited Availability
Another significant downside to biodegradable polyester is that it is hard to find on the market. Biodegradable polyester is not yet commercially available, and the technology for mass-production is in its infancy. Although the science of biodegradable substances has advanced dramatically, it’s still difficult to move the innovations out of the lab and into commercial scale production.
1. Barriers to Large-Scale Adoption
The biggest impediment to mass production of biodegradable polyester lies in the scarcity of raw materials required for its manufacture. While conventional polyester uses petrochemical feedstocks, biodegradable polyester uses renewable sources such as plant sugars and oils, which are more expensive to produce and require a different production process. This can leave the supply chain incomplete, making it impossible to fulfil the needs of the global fashion industry at scale.
What’s more, the capacity to produce biodegradable polyester is very limited and most textile manufacturers are ill-prepared for mass production of biodegradable alternatives. In order to scale production to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for sustainable clothes, new infrastructure, machines and technologies would have to be spent heavily. Until those challenges are resolved, biodegradable polyester will be a niche product.
2. Consumer Adoption and Market Demand
Whether or not biodegradable polyester becomes commercially viable would require a change in consumer preferences, too. Although textiles are increasingly being recognized for their ecological footprint, and sustainable fashion becoming fashionable, biodegradable polyester remains a new option for most consumers. Fashion still depends heavily on traditional polyester, largely because it’s cheap and accessible.
Likewise, the relatively high cost of biodegradable polyester, as will be seen in the next section, prevents its wide use. Though some consumers may be happy to pay more for more sustainable options, the higher cost of biodegradable polyester might prevent mass adoption.
C. High Cost
The manufacturing cost of biodegradable polyester is also a key barrier to its use. Biodegradable polyester costs more to manufacture than conventional polyester, which is made from cheap petrochemical feedstocks. The price variation arises from a number of reasons, such as the price of bio-based raw materials, the requirements for unique production processes, and lower volumes.
1. Cost of Raw Materials
Biodegradable polyester is made from renewable feedstocks such as plant sugars or oils, which are typically more expensive than petroleum feedstocks used to manufacture traditional polyester. Moreover, producing crops for bio-based fuels involves agricultural inputs, which can add further costs. Although the cost of these raw materials will drop in the long run, as the demand for biodegradable polyester grows, the upfront cost is prohibitive.
2. Production Costs and Technology Investment
Biodegradable polyester is also a much more difficult material to manufacture than traditional polyester. New technologies and production processes need to be conceived and refined to ensure that biodegradable polyester is mass produced efficiently and economically. This research and development investment is necessary for companies to optimise the costs of producing biodegradable polyesters, which requires large amounts of capital. Even at such a low cost, biodegradable polyester may not be affordable for the majority of fashion brands (particularly smaller or mid-market ones).
3. Impact on Consumers
Biodegradable polyester is more expensive to manufacture – and thus more expensive to buy. If certain environmentally conscious consumers are willing to pay more for products that are sustainable, the mainstream market is perhaps less so. Especially fast fashion depends on affordable clothing that’s readily available to the mass market, and the cost of biodegradable polyester might not allow it to catch on in large numbers.
D. Degradation Conditions
Biodegradable polyester’s primary advantage is that it degrades faster than polyester when we discard it. But this failure doesn’t happen everywhere. Biodegradable polyester also requires specific environmental conditions to break down, making it difficult to manage waste and reduce material’s impact on the environment.
1. Only Under Several Conditions Can Full Degradation Be Made Possible.
Biodegradable polyester will typically need to be placed under the conditions of industrial composting or in heat and humidity controlled environments before it can completely degrade. These are environments where microbes breakdown the material into non-toxic components like water and carbon dioxide. But most of the landfills or oceans in which polyester clothing is dumped lack the conditions needed for biodegradation.
In landfills, where polyester typically ends up, there’s very little oxygen and water, so even biodegradable polyester may not break down efficiently. Consequently, biodegradable polyester might still become long-term waste if it’s dumped in landfill or in other settings that don’t offer suitable conditions for degradation.
2. Impact in Oceans and Waterways
A second issue is the role of biodegradable polyester in the oceans and waterways. Old-school polyester is also a source of microplastic pollution, but biodegradable polyester will not break down as well under water unless it’s subjected to certain conditions. This means that biodegradable polyester might remain harmful to marine life even if it washes into the oceans before dissolving.
Moreover, depending on the material and environmental conditions, biodegradable polyester could be degraded over years or decades. The advantages of biodegradable polyester fade in these situations, as the fabric continues to remain on the Earth for some time before fading.
VI. – Market Use and Expansion Opportunities
Despite these hurdles, biodegradable polyester is steadily being used and has great promise for the future. It’s the consumer demand, the creativity of fashion houses, and the regulatory pressures that are fueling the biodegradable polyester market.
A. Leading Brands and Innovators
Many of the biggest fashion houses already have collections using biodegradable polyester. Stella McCartney, Patagonia and H&M have been investing in green materials and developing biodegradable polyesters. Stella McCartney, for example, is no stranger to fashion sustainability and works with researchers and innovators on developing biodegradable fibres that deliver the same performance as polyester but without the toxic impact.
In a similar vein, Patagonia uses bio-sourced fabrics, like recycled polyester and biodegradable fibres. These firms are partnering with material innovators and textile manufacturers to ensure biodegradable polyester can meet stringent performance requirements while also providing sustainability advantages.
It will take partnerships between textile companies, academics and designers to enable biodegradable polyester to be commercialised on a large scale. Such alliances can alleviate some of the production hurdles and enhance the quality, performance and cost of biodegradable polyester.
B. Consumer Awareness and Demand
Social consciousness and the need for a greener style are the major forces behind the adoption of biodegradable polyester. Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of textiles, and they are looking for sustainable alternatives that share their ideals. Fashion houses that use biodegradable polyester and other renewable materials can leverage this burgeoning population of eco-savvy shoppers.
Social media and sustainability campaigns have also helped spread the word about polyester’s effects on the environment, as well as more sustainable options.
C. Regulatory Pressures
Governments and regulatory agencies are increasingly implementing policies and regulations promoting the use of more sustainable materials such as biodegradable polyester. These policies may be in the form of rewards for businesses that source or use bio-based or biodegradable materials and sanctions for those that do not.
The future of biodegradable polyester will also depend heavily on the impact of state policies that help curb plastic waste and foster circular economies. States can help to open the door to a more favorable landscape for biodegradable polyester by imposing more rigid restrictions on plastic waste and encouraging use of sustainable materials.
D. Market Trends
Biodegradable polyester is also part of the eco-fashion movement. The more companies take sustainability seriously, the more biodegradable polyester becomes part of a larger transition towards sustainable clothing. It’s not a coincidence that the development of more eco-friendly, sustainable fabrics is part of the push to reduce fashion’s ecological footprint.
VII. The Future of Biodegradable Polyester
Biologically degradable polyester looks very good, but it will take major technological leaps and overcome a number of key obstacles. Once the problems of price, scalability, durability and degrading conditions are resolved, biodegradable polyester may be a key element of the circular fashion economy.
A. Advancements in Technology
In the near future, new processes for producing biodegradable polyester might reduce the cost, make it more resistant and expand its availability. New manufacturing technologies and progressively enhanced degrading techniques would ease most of the constraints, and biodegradable polyester could become a fashionable material on a global scale.
B. Integration into Circular Fashion
Biodegradable polyester could become an integral part of a circular economy in which products are recycled and reused. It could support a more sustainable fashion industry by ensuring biodegradable polyester breaks down properly when it is no longer used.
C. Broader Sustainability Efforts
Biodegradable polyester is presumably just one step of the fashion industry’s overall sustainability approach that includes recycling, waste reduction, and sustainable manufacturing. As brands and customers continue to promote sustainability, biodegradable polyester might become a staple in sustainable clothing collections.
D. Long-Term Viability
Eventually, biodegradable polyester may be an alternative to conventional polyester as long as the technology continues to enhance its properties, lower its production costs, and increase its accessibility. But that’s going to require confronting enormous barriers around material life, scalability and degradation conditions. As long as they innovate and invest, biodegradable polyester may play an important role in sustainable fashion.
Yashvi Jain, a writer by day and reader by night, is an accomplished content writer and published author of ‘Mind Under Construction. Yashvi possesses extensive knowledge of fabrics, sustainability, and literature. On occasions, you would catch her scripting for her YouTube channel, engrossed in fiction, or ardently dedicating her time to research and storytelling.