Recycled polyester

As part of our established efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our materials, we continue to replace virgin polyester with recycled polyester, lowering our dependence on fossil fuels and driving down our carbon footprint while regenerating existing materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.

Currently, the recycled polyester we use is made from mainly PET plastic bottles but can also be made from other post-consumer plastics, such as ocean waste or from pre-consumer waste such as factory fabric off cuts; giving materials that would have ended up in landfill a new lease of life.

Mechanical recycling is the most common industrial reprocessing method and we work tirelessly with our supply chain partners to select fabric qualities that provide more variation while maintaining a high quality, as currently the selection is limited due to lack of material innovation.
Our goal is to replace 85% of our virgin polyester with certified recycled polyester by 2025.

Recycled polyester isn’t a perfect solution

Although there are positives to using this fibre within our collections, we know that recycled polyester isn’t a perfect solution.
Like the virgin material, recycled polyester still releases microfibres during washing, which make their way into water streams and the ocean.

Depending on the cleaning instructions, we suggest keeping washing to a minimum and using a GUPPYFRIEND® washing bag to capture any microfibres. Find out more in our product care guide here.

We’re still working on the quality

The method of recycling has a significant impact on the quality of recycled polyester, and although we work closely with our suppliers to overcome this, we still face some limitations on variation and quality. However new technologies are always emerging, and we follow them closely, with the intention to incorporate them into our styles when they are developed at scale.