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EcoSpun is a high-quality polyester fibre which has been developed by the U.S. company Wellman Inc. Many different fabrics are made using EcoSpun, including fleece fabrics which are warm, durable, weather resistant, lightweight and comfortable.
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They are very soft to the touch.
One would never guess the source of the fibre - recycled plastic bottles!
EcoSpun can also be blended with other fibres, such as wool, cotton and tencel, for
enhanced qualities. EcoSpun is used mostly for vests, jackets, pants, blanket throws and
accessories. It is also used in carpets, home furnishings and fibrefill.
Fortrel® EcoSpun® is a registered trademark of Wellman, Inc. for recycled polyester.
Visit our Main Site for further products.
Benefits
Wellman has the capacity to keep almost 3 billion plastic PET bottles out of the world's landfills each year, saving over 1/2 million barrels of oil and eliminating 400,000 tons of harmful air emissions which contribute to acid rain, global warming and smog. The amount
of petroleum saved by using post-consumer bottles instead of virgin materials in the
manufacturing process annually is enough to supply power to a city the size of Manchester for an entire year!
Process
One of the most impressive features of EcoSpun is the source of the fibre - recycled plastic (PET) bottles. The bottles are refined and purified, chopped down and processed into spun
fibre strands. These strands are then knitted and woven into fabric.
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1. The process begins at your local recycling depot, where the plastic bottles are sorted and baled for collection. The plastic is technically called polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
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2. At the processing plant, the caps and labels are removed,
and the bottles are then separated by colour.
3. After sterilization, the bottles are crushed and then
chopped into flake.
4. These tiny pieces of flake are poured into large vats,
where they're melted and stirred. This produces a thick liquid
that's extruded through shower-head like devices to create
fibrous, polyester strands.
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5. The fibre strands are then stretched to produce thinness
and strength. The strands are crimped, cut into short pieces
and baled for shipping to clothing manufacturers where the
thread is knitted and woven into fabric. Fleece is but one of
many fabrics that can be produced using this versatile fibre.
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Fleece garments made from EcoSpun are, chemically and functionally, nearly identical to non-recycled fleeces. EcoSpun delivers a soft, luxurious, colour-fast product without depleting the Earth's natural resources, without herbicides or pesticides and without extensive energy use.
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EcoSpun has been independently certified by Scientific Certification Systems, the U.S. leader in evaluating environmental claims. All testing standards have been met, including strength, shrinkage and colour fastness.
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Wellman has won numerous environmental awards for the development of EcoSpun. For more information, you can visit their website at Wellman, Inc.
Where to find EcoSpun products online: www.ecospun.co.uk
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