Turning Plastic Into Fashion Learn More

The plastics are sorted according to color and SNV plastics. Next, the plastic goes through a sterilization process. Then, it is dried and crushed into chips.

Next, liquefaction occurs under high temperatures, as a mixture of the recycled chips and some new plastic from petroleum derivatives are melted together to form a smooth, syrup-like material.

The first threads are formed when the liquefied material is forced through holes and exposed to air. The hardened threads, called tow, then go through a strengthening process.

The "drawing" process strengthens the molecular bonds of the tow; the tow is pulled to double their size and then shrunken.

The threads then go through a dryer where they develop a woolly texture. The texture is inspected for strength and thickness, and then spun into a finer yarn that is then ready to be dyed and knit into fabric.