Polyester is the most widely used textile on the planet, with its affordability, adaptability, and durability. From fashion items to furnishings to textiles for the factory, this artificial fabric is a reality. Our dependence on polyester around the world comes from the fact that polyester mimics natural fibres such as cotton and silk, yet has greater performance characteristics like wrinkle resistance and resilience.
But all the polyester used in so much is at a cost. Polyester’s effects have also been put under the microscope, as fashion industries increasingly have to worry about the environment. Sustainability, a common concept of modern manufacturing and consumerism, begs the question: is polyester fabric sustainable?
In this article, we look at the impact of polyester on the environment in its lifecycle, from its production, use, and disposal. And once we know the challenges and the possibilities of polyester, we’ll be able to make an informed assessment of where polyester fits into the circular economy.
What Is Polyester Fabric?
Definition and Composition
Polyester is a synthetic fiber made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a petroleum-based polymer. It’s plastic which is turned into fibers and used to create textiles. Polyester emerged only at the mid-20th century, where it was soon adopted for its strength, affordability and flexibility.
Characteristics of Polyester
Polyester is adored for several reasons:
Strength: Can not be worn, stretched, shrunk, wrinkled, it’s durable and perfect for long-term usage.
Affordability: It is cheap in its manufacturing cost making it available to manufacturers and consumers.
Multiplability: Polyester can appear and feel like cotton, silk or wool and is often combined with natural fibres.
Types of Polyester
Virgin Polyester: It’s the type of material made of virgin petroleum, and it is the most prevalent type of polyester. It is very cheap to manufacture but heavily dependent on non-renewable resources.
Recycled Polyester (rPET): Composed of recycled plastic bottles and post-consumer textile waste, rPET is more sustainable than virgin polyester. It eliminates waste and uses less energy and less raw material.
Limitations of Polyester Fabric on Environment
Even if it’s convenient, polyester’s manufacturing, use and recycling are deeply unsustainable. Let’s consider these effects a little more.
1. Dependence on Non-Renewable Resources
Petroleum Dependency
Polyester is made from petroleum, a scarce resource that can be produced only over millions of years. Crude oil used to produce polyester is not just tapped and refined, but pollutes air and water.
Environmental Damage
The results of petroleum extraction are habitat loss, soil degradation and oil spills, all of which are disastrous to ecosystems. Chemicals and greenhouse gases that are emitted by petroleum refinery to make polyester add to these problems.
Resource Depletion
The global market for polyester pressures fossil fuels. Polyester, being a petroleum product, isn’t sustainable as such and therefore needs to be replaced by something else.
2. Energy-Intensive Production Process
High Energy Consumption
Polyester is made with energy-intensive processes of polymerization, spinning and weaving. These phases need very high temperatures and enormous amounts of electricity – a good portion of which is fueled by fossil fuels.
Carbon Emissions
Polyester production uses a lot of energy, causing lots of carbon to be released, warming the world. Polyester has a higher carbon footprint than natural fibres such as cotton or wool because of the industrial processing involved.
Comparison with Other Fibers
Polyester uses less water than cotton but more energy in the long run. Its environmental value is only one way to weigh these trade-offs.
3. Waste and Non-Biodegradability
Long Lifespan in Landfills
Polyester isn’t biodegradable — that is, it can sit in landfill for hundreds of years. This persistance is an issue because clothes and fabrics end up in waste dumps around the world.
Growing Global Waste Crisis
Fast fashion being the cause of the low-cost polyester clothes, so the textiles that are going to landfill are multiplying. Landfills stuffed full of other waste aren’t ready for polyester’s slow breakdown.
Challenges in Disposal
Polyester residue is burnt incinerating – producing polluting gases such as carbon dioxide and dioxins. Recycling is an answer, but existing recycling infrastructure isn’t built to handle the quantity of polyester waste.
4. Microplastic Pollution
Shedding During Washing
Polyester clothes leak microplastics — tiny synthetic fibres — when they’re washed. Such fibres often pass right through water treatment, and end up in rivers, lakes and oceans.
Impact on Marine Ecosystems
Microplastic pollution harms marine life. These fibres are eaten by fish, shellfish and other aquatic animals, and the food chain is depleted of malnutrition, disease and toxic bioaccumulation.
Human Health Concerns
There have been microplastics found in water, in food, even in the tissues of people. Although the full impact on health is still being explored, these particles indicate a danger for the long-term.
5. Water Use and Pollution
Uses Less Water than Cotton
Polyester uses a lot less water than other natural fibres, such as cotton, which need a lot of water to grow.
Water Pollution from Manufacturing
Polyester manufacture also produces sewage that’s rife with dyes, chemicals and heavy metals, even though water consumption is less. If not treated, this effluent is toxic to freshwater ecosystems, aquatic life and human populations.
6. Carbon Footprint
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Polyester production requires high energy consumption and thus high emissions. They are greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Comparison with Other Fibers
Polyester has less of an energy bill than natural fibres such as wool, which release methane from animals.
Transportation and Disposal
The international transport of polyesters and the disposal in landfills or incinerators make its carbon footprint even larger.
7. Recycling and Circular Economy Potential
Recycled Polyester (rPET)
rPET could be the answer to polyester’s sustainability woes. rPET saves the environment and virgin fuels with the use of recycled plastics.
Challenges in Recycling
Polyester recycling, for all its potential, has its limitations in terms of scale, loss of quality and pollution of recycled materials.
Innovations in Recycling
New technologies such as chemical recycling promise to keep fibre quality and produce closed-loop systems in which polyester can be reused again and again without degradation of performance.
Comparing the Benefits and Disadvantages
Polyester is a durable, multi-purpose fabric with great benefits, but it is also very costly in terms of the environment. Comparing polyester with natural fibres such as cotton and wool draws its strengths (e.g., water savings) and weaknesses (e.g., non-biodegradability). Recycling solutions and bio-derived alternatives hold promise as a way to mitigate polyester’s environmental impact without losing its functionality.
How to Improve Polyester Sustainability
Polyester is one of the most widely used synthetic fibers in the world because it’s very strong, economical and versatile. But its environmental footprint makes it questionable as a sustainable system. Polyester is very much the enemy of sustainability, ranging from its dependence on fossil fuels, to microplastic contamination and long-term disposal.
There is however, something manufacturers and consumers can do to make polyester less environmentally harmful. If we shift to recycled products, invest in new technologies and behave sustainably, polyester’s footprint can be minimized, and its contribution to a more circular, sustainable textile industry could grow. This blog is all about what manufacturers and consumers can do to make polyester more sustainable.
For Manufacturers: Transforming Production Practices
And it’s the manufacturers who have helped make polyester sustainable through eco-friendly materials and processes. Innovations in production, use of materials and waste collection can drastically reduce the environmental footprint of the industry.
1. Use Recycled Polyester (rPET) to Limit Virgin Resource Consumption.
rPET is made from recycled polyester (plastic from bottles and textiles used after consumers have recycled the material). There are several advantages to including rPET in manufacturing operations:
Reduces Plastic Composting: Recycled plastics used for textile manufacture do not enter landfills or the oceans.
Reduces Carbon Emissions: RPET does not use as much energy as virgin polyester, lowering emissions.
Limits Petroleum Use: Utilizing materials already present, rPET reduces the need for virgin petroleum polyester, preserving non-renewable resources.
Implementation Strategies
Improve Recycling Systems: Build effective collection and processing systems for plastic waste into high quality rPET fibers.
Work in Industry: Work with beverage companies, recyclers, and governments to get raw materials for rPET.
Boost rPET Quality: Build in fiber integrity preservation technologies when recycling to help keep rPET performing like virgin polyester.
2. Make Investment in Research for Biobased and Biodegradable Polyester.
Some alternatives to regular polyester are new, such as bio-based and biodegradable. Bio-based polyester primarily starts with renewable material (cane or corn) and biodegradable polyester is made to break down faster.
Benefits
Slightly Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels: Bio-polyester gives up petroleum for renewable resources.
Fewer Long-Term Environmental Impact: Biodegradable alternatives will avoid the enduring disposal issue with conventional polyester.
Implementation Strategies
Team up with Universities and Research Centers: Partner with specialists to research new materials and prove mass production capabilities.
Pilot Programmes: Introduce pilot scale production of bio-based or biodegradable polyester to test performance and acceptance.
Market Training: Remind customers and stakeholder on the merits of these alternatives to promote demand and drive growth.
3. Develop Energy-Efficient and Low-Emission Production Methods.
Polyester production consumes a lot of energy and is a big carbon emission source. This can be reduced by switching to energy saving practices and cleaner energy sources.
Strategies for Reducing Energy Use
Improve Machinery: Ensure machinery is upgraded to be more efficient and energy efficient for polymerization and fiber manufacturing.
Make the Processes Simpler: Leverage new processes, such as low temperature polymerization, to reduce energy requirements.
Adopt Renewable Energy
Change the energy source of manufacturing into solar, wind or hydro power to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels.
Partner with energy providers to put clean power in production.
Carbon Offset Programs
Save for carbon offsets (such as reforestation or renewable energy projects) to compensate for emissions produced during the manufacture of polyester.
4. Promote Circular Economy Practices
An eccentric economy means making products and infrastructure that waste as little as possible and reuse as much as possible. In the case of polyester, that means developing closed-loop recycling networks in which recycled textiles are turned into new fibres.
Implementation Strategies
Recycling Textiles: Work with retailers to harvest used garments and re-use them to create new polyester fibers.
Chemical Recycling Solutions: Choose systems such as depolymerization that separate polyester into component parts that can be reused.
Recycling Design: Promote polyester clothing with easy to dismantle and recycle parts.
For Consumers: Cleaner Alternatives to Consumption Daily Life
Polyester consumers can do a lot to make polyester sustainable by choosing wisely and making environmentally friendly choices. Little things in buying, handling and disposing can add up to a lot.
1. Buy a Product that is Recycled Polyester (rPET) and Organic Brands.
Recycled polyester garments are more cost effective, and consumers can avoid virgin polyester sourcing and support sustainable practices.
How to Identify Sustainable Options
Check Labels: Search for International Certifications such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) to check for certification.
Research Brands: Encourage brands with clear sustainability efforts (eg recycled materials or sustainable manufacturing).
Advantages of Sustainable Purchases
Reduces waste and plastic pollution.
Invite brands to take a green stand.
2. Make the Most of Laundry Filters to Reduce Microplastic Release.
Disposal of polyester clothing is a major microplastic source. : There are few small ways to control fiber loss when doing laundry.
Recommended Practices
Wear Laundry Filters or Bags: Use a Guppyfriend bag or wash machine filters to trap microfibers before they make their way to wastewater.
Wash Fewer Times: Launder polyester less often to reduce microplastic production.
Select Cold Water Settings: Using cold water is better for fiber shedding and saving energy.
Benefits
Keeps microplastics out of waterways.
Guards marine life and reduces pollution.
3. Participate in Textile Recycling Programs
Recycle polyester, and you will help extend its life cycle and avoid landfill. Many shops and agencies have textile recycling programmes where your unwanted clothes can be recycled or reused.
How to Participate
Donate or Repurpose: Give donated or recycled clothes a second life by making DIY projects.
Recycling Facilities: Find drop-off locations or mail-in textile recycling centers close to you. -Some manufacturers even give discounts for bringing back used clothes.
Be A Part of Circular Fashion Movements: Shop for second-hand polyester or engage in rent-to-own fashion programs.
Impact
Reduces landfill waste.
Supports the adoption of circular economy in textiles.
Beating Barriers to Gain Polyester Sustainability.
These are good ideas, but to implement them in a large-scale manner they have to overcome some challenges:
1. Cost Barriers
It may be more expensive to manufacture recycled and bio-based polyester than virgin polyester, so it will not get a widespread rollout.
Problems: Governments and institutions can give incentives, taxes or grants to help finance the cost of environmentally friendly materials and technologies.
2. Limited Awareness
Many consumers and manufacturers don’t know how harmful polyester is to the environment, or if alternatives exist that are sustainable.
Solutions: Awareness campaigns, transparency campaigns and brands/environmental organizations can fill this knowledge gap.
3. Technological Limitations
The current recycling technologies are neither scalable nor efficient, and can’t process polyester at the volume it needs.
Answers: Maintaining research and development to improve recycling and promote innovation is essential.
In the Future: An Efficient New World for Polyester.
We are all in this together in striving to make polyester sustainability even better: producers, consumers, and governments. Manufacturers will need to focus on developments such as rPET, biomaterials and low-energy manufacturing, and consumers can do their bit by buying wisely and acting responsibly.
Taken together, these changes could turn polyester from a waste problem into a sustainable alternative, and put the textile sector on the same page as the rest of the world in eliminating waste and addressing climate change. Thrive in the circular economy, collaborate, and make eco-friendly decisions to move toward a better future for polyester and the world.
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.