A Dubai-based company has taken on the initiative of transforming plastic bottles into T-shirts, with the astonishing fact that 20 bottles can be repurposed to create a single adult T-shirt.
This company recycles an impressive 60 million plastic bottles every month, resulting in the daily production of approximately 20,000 T-shirts. Their ultimate goal is to recycle over 1 billion plastic bottles this year and convert them into polyester yarns, which can be utilized to make sustainable clothing options such as T-shirts, dresses, leggings, and more. By adopting this eco-friendly approach, they aim to reduce plastic waste and prevent it from accumulating in landfills.Â
Moreover, the T-shirts made from recycled bottles are not only environmentally friendly but also cost 12 to 15 percent less compared to conventional polyester shirts. The manufacturing process of these garments saves energy by 50 percent, requires 20 percent less water, and produces 55 percent fewer carbon emissions compared to virgin polyester yarn.
Emma Barber, the managing director of DGrade FZ LLC, emphasizes the importance of recycling and advocates for sustainability. Her company has already made a significant impact by diverting 3.7 million plastic bottles from landfills through the production of 185,000 T-shirts for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Barber’s mission is to promote recycling as a habit, believing that plastics are meant to be recycled. The process of converting plastic bottles into T-shirts involves sorting and cleaning the bottles, shredding them into flakes, melting them at high pressure, and extruding and spinning them into polyester yarn.
The entire process takes around 60 days, from bottle collection to the production of a finished T-shirt. The versatility of the recycled polyester yarn allows for the creation of over 200 different fabric types, including jersey, twill, poplin, canvas, quick dry, felt, denim, and various clothing and accessory options such as dresses, shirts, trousers, caps, bags, and backpacks.
