Did you know that some of Trangoworld’s technical garments are made from used plastic bottles? This isn’t a slogan. We’re talking about a real, verifiable recycled polyester with a name of its own: REPREVE®. In this article we explain what this technology is, how it works and why choosing mountain clothing made from recycled fiber is also a way of choosing the planet.
What is REPREVE?
REPREVE is one of the world’s leading recycled fibres, made by Unifi, Inc., who have transformed more than 30 billion plastic bottles into fibre for clothing, footwear and other consumer products. Their goal, beyond producing a high-quality technical fiber, is to demonstrate that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand.
At Trangoworld, we use REPREVE in a selection of garments because we understand sustainability not as a label certificate, but as a real manufacturing decision.
How is REPREVE fiber made? The process step by step
The process that turns a used plastic bottle into a technical mountain garment has several stages:
1. Collection, preparation and transformation of bottles into flake
It all starts with used plastic bottles. They are collected, cleaned, sorted and shredded into small plastic flake. That flake is cleaned again to ensure the quality of the starting material.
2. Transformation into resin
The flake is melted down and transformed into high-quality resin, the starting material for the next stage of the process.
3. Extrusion and spinning
The resin is extruded and spun to produce REPREVE fiber and yarn, ready to be incorporated into the fabrics that will later be used to make garments.
The result is a high-performance technical fiber made from plastic waste instead of virgin raw materials derived from petroleum.
How do you certify that a garment really contains REPREVE?
One of the most legitimate questions a consumer can ask is: how do I know this is real? REPREVE has a technical answer to that question.
FiberPrint® + U TRUST®: verified traceability
REPREVE incorporates FiberPrint® technology, a unique tracer that allows the use of REPREVE to be verified at any point in the supply chain, from resin to yarn to finished fabric.
U TRUST® certification is powered by this same FiberPrint technology and allows recycled content claims to be certified for products made with REPREVE. This way, sustainability claims can be proven, not just stated.
In addition, REPREVE holds Oeko-Tex and Global Recycled Standard certifications, and its results in the Higg MSI (Higg Materials Sustainability Index) demonstrate a significantly lower environmental impact than virgin polyester.
Why does it matter to choose clothing made with REPREVE?
Using recycled fiber like REPREVE:
- Reduces dependence on virgin raw materials derived from petroleum.
- Cuts the amount of plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or in the ocean.
- Generates a lower carbon footprint in fabric production compared to virgin polyester, according to the Higg MSI.
For Trangoworld, incorporating REPREVE into garments such as trousers, jackets and vests is a decision consistent with something we have been doing for almost a century: making garments that allow us to enjoy the mountains with respect for the natural environment.
Trangoworld garments featuring REPREVE
