The commitment to sustainable fashion and reducing waste has been a trend for the last decade. Today, brands actively use recycled fabrics from plastic bottles, such as Repreve® Recycled Polyester. However, technological and textile companies continue to develop new approaches to getting sustainable materials. In this blog post, we will share new fabric innovations you can use now.
Recycled Spandex
Currently, there are two technologies for creating recycled spandex:
- Pre-consumer recycling: This method involves reclaiming waste generated during manufacturing. Off-cuts, surplus fabric, and defective products are collected and transformed into new fibers. This technology helps to reduce waste and lower the demand for virgin materials, contributing to a more ecological production cycle.
- Post-consumer recycling: In this method, old spandex garments are collected and chemically broken into their original polymers. These polymers are then purified and re-spun into new fibers. This technology prolongs the lifecycle of clothing, greatly diminishing the amount of textile waste in landfills.
Explore the two standard methods for a spandex recycling process:
- Mechanical Recycling: Typically suited for pre-consumer waste, this method involves shredding and melting down spandex materials to form new fibers. Although this process can slightly degrade the fibers’ quality, it is widely used.
- Chemical Recycling: Suitable for pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, chemical recycling breaks down spandex into its constituent chemicals, which are then re-polymerized into new fibers. This method can produce high-quality recycled spandex nearly equivalent to virgin spandex in performance.
Why can recycled spandex be used as an alternative to traditional spandex?
- Ecological Care: Recycled spandex uses less energy and water than virgin spandex, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
- Consumer Perception: As the consumer demand for sustainable fashion grows, recycled spandex can enhance a brand’s reputation and attract new customers.
Designers should note the potential variations in elasticity and durability of recycled spandex. It’s essential to work with reliable suppliers to ensure the quality meets the requirements of their designs and seek certified materials.
Our solution
PCF exclusively offers the FishTale collection, which is composed of 80% MIPAN regen® Ocean, made from 100% post-consumer recycled nylon derived from fishing nets, and 20% Creora® regen, a RCS-certified 100% pre-consumer recycled spandex. This regen spandex performs similarly to traditional but is manufactured using eco-friendly methods.
Dope-dyed fibers
This technology is an eco-friendly method of adding color to synthetic fibers.
Unlike traditional dyeing, where fibers are dyed after being spun into threads, dope dyeing involves adding pigment directly into the molten polymer solution before it is extruded through the spinnerets to form fibers. This means that the color is integrated into the fiber during manufacturing.
In this method, the color in dope-dyed fibers is more saturated, long-lived, and resistant to fading.
How does it help the environment?
The main benefit of dope-dyed fiber technology is its ability to reduce water usage. Traditional dyeing of a single kilogram of fabric can require as much as 100 liters of water. In contrast, dope dyeing significantly reduces water consumption because the color is added directly to the polymer. This technology also helps to reduce the amount of chemicals used for the dyeing process and dye and pigment waste.
Our solution
At Pine Crest Fabrics, you can find innovative fabric made from a blend of dope-dyed polyester and the exclusive XLANCE® (Lastol) technology—the ColorLock. This combination retains swimwear’s color and structural integrity, even after repeated use in chlorinated water.
Biodegradable Polyester
Biodegradable polyester is an innovative textile made from polymers engineered for quick decomposition. Unlike conventional polyester, which can take hundreds of years to decompose, biodegradable versions are designed to break down within a few years when exposed to specific environments like landfills or industrial compost facilities.
Our solution
We at Pine Crest Fabrics offer innovative fabrics made from biodegradable polyester, like the Biodegradable Poly Interlock. This fabric is as durable as the traditional blend of polyester and spandex but decomposes much faster, which helps to reduce the environmental impact. We can also source other biodegradable polyester options based on your needs. Contact our fabric specialist to place a request.
What other technologies are helping brands become more sustainable?
3D Digital Sampling
This innovation tool allows designers to craft virtual garment models and experiment with different materials, patterns, and colors. It provides a realistic preview of the final product, allows for the identification of any design flaws, and enables necessary pre-production adjustments, thereby preventing costly mistakes.
3D digital sampling can potentially reduce carbon emissions by 97% compared to traditional garment manufacturing and helps mitigate issues like microplastic shedding and soil degradation.
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