Rethinking fashion: recycled plastic eco wear gains ground

By Rikki Stancich

Rethinking fashion: recycled plastic eco wear gains ground

A Seattle-based garment manufacturer has found its niche using recycled PET bottles as a fabric resource.

Since 2008, Rethink Fabrics has been raising the bar on sustainability by manufacturing and distributing apparel produced entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Its goal, says the forward thinking company, is to promote recycling in the mainstream by repurposing plastic waste into a desirable product.

The Seattle-based company harvests plastic trash to manufacture branded, unbranded, and co-branded garments that are clearly labeled with a ‘bottle count’. Not only are the garments manufactured from 100% recycled PET, they are themselves recyclable, closing the loop on plastic waste.

Rethink has gained prominence via clever marketing campaigns. The company partnered with music group Black Eyed Peas to provide the t-shirts for its 2010 E.N.D. Tour, and leveraged the opportunity to educate concert-attendees about recycling. Rethink also produced custom bags made from recycled polyester and recycled PET t-shirts as a part of Evian’s Live Young campaign.

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