Fleece is great – warm, perfect for layering, and most importantly, easy to clean. Did you know that some fleece is also made from recycled plastic bottles?
In 1993, Patagonia (www.patagonia.com) and Polartec (www.polartec.com) began exploring how to make fleece from recycled content. It took a few years to get it right, but they are now able to make recycled fabrics at costs comparable to the original.
Here’s how it works:
- Recycled plastic bottles are sorted by color, cleaned, and chopped into flakes.
- The flakes are then melted to create pellets, called polyester chips. These pellets are then melted and forced through a spinneret to create yarn.
- The yarn is processed; its molecular bonds are strengthened.
- Using a circular knitter, the yarn is turned into a cloth, which is then washed, dyed, washed again and split down the middle. Now it’s a flat piece of fabric.
- After the fabric is dried, it goes through a brushing process called napping, which makes it soft and fuzzy. Then the shearing process ensures an even height.
- The final product is ready for use. Polartec now offers more than 250 different varieties of fleece fabric.
Pretty cool, right?
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