WEAR NOT WASTE
A staggering half a trillion PET bottles are produced around the world, each and every year. Around 80 per cent of these end up in landfill where they take almost 500 years to break down. The good news is there is something we can do about it, today.
Recycling Wheel
At Dharma Bums we are determined to be part of the solution, not the problem. We took the problem – in the form of post-consumer PET bottles – and made a recycled, durable fabric out of them. Sourced from Taiwan, who lead the way in recycling, with 55% of their waste recycled, our fabrics reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators – while using 85% less energy and producing 50% less CO2 emissions. For every 16-18 PET bottles recycled, we can make one pair of leggings.
BOTTLE COLLECTION
The manufacturing process for eco-fabrics starts with collecting used PET bottles, before taking them to a recycling facility where they are pre-washed and sorted into piles of green and clear plastic. They are given a soapy bath, just warm enough to remove any labels.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Once the bottle is cleared of non-PET materials, it is ground into flakes which are then melted to form small pellets.
CREATING THE FIBRE
The small pellets are heated to create fibres which are then spun into yarn. We use only the highest quality filament fibres, which are longer, finer, and more durable…perfect for Dharma Bums activewear.
FROM FIBRE TO FABRIC
The yarn is finally woven to create the high-quality eco-fabric we use in our recycled activewear
Each pair of leggings made using this process recycles 16-18 plastic bottles.