Sarmin Sultana Lima
Approximately 480 billion plastic water bottles are produced annually. But most of them are disposed in landfills. This affects our environment. So we should protect the environment. We can save the nature by recycling the bottles if we want.
Most of the recycled polyester we commonly use comes from plastic water and soda bottles. As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. Hard drinking straws can be turned into soft fabrics and are widely used in the clothing industry. Globally, the recycling of plastic bottles for clothes is a growing trend, as conscious consumers in the western markets are demanding more garment items be made from recycled yarn in order to save the earth from plastic pollution.
Process of plastic fiber:
Plastic fibers are plastics that have been spun into fibers or filament and used to make fabrics, string, ropes, and cables, even optical fibers.
Step-01: Collection and Cleaning
PET bottles or containers are collected at recycling facilities, packaged and delivered to designated PET recycling facilities. Caps of containers or bottles, as well as labels, are removed and cleaned. They are washed and steam-cleaned to get rid of any non-PET materials.
Step-02: Cutting into pieces
The second step is associated with shredding. An automatic bell breaker is used to break bottles and containers into flakes. The flakes are cleaned properly and inspected once more to ensure there are no contaminants. Later, colored plastics are separated from transparent plastics.
Step-03: Processing
To reconstitute into PET chips, it undergoes a depolymerization and depolymerization process. These PET chips can be another process to make fresh water bottles, clothes, insulation and more.
Step-04: Melting
Dry chips are forced through heated pipes to turn them into liquid. A die plate containing small holes filters the liquid. As it cools it hardens into fibers and the yarn is made by smoothing, stretching and placing the fibers on the reel.
Step-05: Polyester recycled yarn
The yarn is prepared for one more use and is knitted or even woven into fabric. It performs as functionally and aesthetically as traditional polyester yarn.
Benefits of plastic fiber:
1. Lower production and packaging costs: plastic fiber is cost-effective due to its simpler manufacturing process and lower material costs.
2.Soft and Non-Brittle: Unlike glass optical fibers, plastic fiber is soft and flexible. It can bend without cracking easily, making it more durable.
3.Immune to Noise: Plastic fiber does not emit any electromagnetic interference (EMI) and is immune to noise. It can be run alongside power cables without interference.
4.Rugged and Flexible: Plastic fiber is more rugged and flexible, making it easier to install.
5.Lightweight: Plastic fiber is lighter than glass fibers, which simplifies handling and installation.
6.Stress Resistance: It can withstand stress during installation and use.
How plastic fibers are related to the textile sector:
Many textile companies use recycled plastics as synthetic fiber raw materials in order to reduce their costs and support nature and sustainable economy. The plastics are the essential materials to produce the textile ;also they are used in every step of textile product such as fibers are used in every step of textile product such as fiber manufacturing to textile coloration and finishing.
1.Synthetic Textile production:
*Synthetic fibers, such as polyester and nylon, are widely used in clothing, household textiles, and other everyday items in Europe. They constitute approximately 60% of clothing and 70% of household textiles
*These synthetic textiles are woven into our daily lives, including the clothes we wear, towels, bed sheets, carpets, curtains, cushions, safety belts, car tires, workwear, and sportswear
2.Microplastics and Textiles:
The wearing and washing of textiles made from synthetic (plastic) fibers is a recognized source of microplastics in the environment.
3.Global consumption Trends:
*Since the late 1990s, polyester has surpassed cotton as the most commonly used fiber in textiles.
*While most synthetic textile fibers are produced in Asia, Europe stands out as the world’s largest importer of synthetic fibers by trade value and also produces and exports such fibers.
The textile industries are looking forward to the rapid growth by using synthetic and natural fibers, or produced by incorporating the different types plastics and matrix with the existing fibers.
Bangladesh is set to become a major source of recycled yarn and fabrics made from plastic bottles as the country looks to capture more market share of global high value-added garment items such as activewear, outerwear, padding and quilting. Globally, the recycling of plastic bottles for clothes is a growing trend, as conscious consumers in the western markets are demanding more garment items be made from recycled yarn in order to save the earth from plastic pollution.
References
1.plastictoday.com
2.The Bakelizer “commemorative booklet produced by the national historic chemical landmarks program of the American chemical society in 1993.
3.Mare plasticum –the plastic Sea(book)
4.https://www.reseaechgate.net.
5.youTube or various website
