Sustainable textiles made from recycled plastic
Creating a more sustainable future
At Blue Toby, sustainability is part of our business model. We have adopted a number of sustainble practices to protect the planet. For example, we use recycled plastic to make the fabrics in our pet beds. At the same time, Blue Toby provides a high-quality, long-lasting, and extremely comfortable bed for your furry friend.
Why we need to change our use of plastics
We all use plastic every day. As I write this, I am using a plastic keyboard and mouse, my pen is made of plastic, and my mobile phone has a plastic case. Look around and you will see that plastics are everywhere in our environment today.
There are many types of plastic, but some of the worst for the environment are single-use plastics, like food and drink containers. They account for most of the plastic that ends up in the ocean. According to the Ocean Conservancy, about 200 million metric tons of plastic are already in the ocean. Another 11 million metric tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean each year. To put that into perspective, the largest plastic "island" off the coast of California is twice the size of Texas!
Reducing the amount of plastic we use is important. Here are some easy steps on the path to sustainability. First, choose multiple-use containers instead of plastic cups, straws, bags, and food containers. (Get more tips here). Second, select quality new or used products that last a long time. Third, recycle plastics you use and select products made from recycled or "post-consumer" material. You can find many products made from recycled plastic - keeping it out of the landfill and ocean. Recycling plastic also reduces energy and materials that would be used to create new plastic. But currently, we only recycle about 9% of plastics. We can do better! (Get plastic recycling info here).
What is recycled polyester?
You might not know that fabric can be made from recycled waste. Textile manufacturers use different types of recycled fibers. Recycled polyester is probably the most well-known and is usually made from plastic bottles. Recycled polyester is made from rPET (that's short for recycled polyethylene terephthalate). This is a type of plastic that is clear, light and BPA-free, so is the most common plastic used to hold beverages.
Blue Toby chose recycled polyester to use in our sustainable pet beds, including fleece, non-slip, and technical fabrics. These recycled fabrics stand up well to heavy use (like Fido digging on his bed before lying down!). They also wash well and last a long time.
By using recycled polyester fabric, Blue Toby Sustainable Pet Beds keep plastic bottles out of the ocean and landfills. For example, we use about 34 recycled plastic bottles to make the fabric of our small pet bed and 109 bottles in our giant size pet bed!
The history of REPREVE recycled polyester fiber hits close to home for Blue Toby
Blue Toby is located in North Carolina - near Chapel Hill to be precise. This region has a rich history in textile fabrication. In fact, the company that brought recycled polyester fiber to mainstream manufacturing is located nearby!
George Allen Mebane IV started the Unifi company in 1971 near Greensboro, NC. Unifi has a history of innovation, and in 2007 introduced REPREVE recycled fiber. What started as an idea to use excess textile waste moved to recycling plastic bottles. REPREVE is now the world's leading branded recycled fiber used to make textiles.
Blue Toby uses REPREVE recycled fiber to manufacture the technical fabric of our outer, reversible covers (which have fleece on one side and custom printed soft fabric on the other). We are proud to use an environmentally- responsible raw material that was developed right here in our state!
The future of recycled plastics
Recyling plastic is not without its challenges. The process crushes plastic bottles and other plastics into small bits, which damages the fibers. This means that there is a limit to the number of times plastics can be recycled using these methods.
Scientists are developing some amazing new ways to degrade plastics using microbes! Microbes are tiny organisms, including bacteria. Researchers from the Kyoto Institute of Technology found plastic-eating bacteria in landfills back in 2001. Over the years, the enzymes that the bacteria use to break down plastics have been studied and duplicated in an effort to develop methods to degrade plastic that work more efficiently.
In 2021, the French company Carbios started large-scale plastic recycling using bacterial enzymes. The process takes plastic waste and breaks it into its core molecular components. These molecules become new plastic products or other useful materials. This process does not degrade the plastic fibers, allowing unlimited recycling. The enzymatic recycling successfully addresses the lifecycle of plastics and textiles. Carbios also claims it creates 51% fewer emissions than making new plastic without the need for new oil to make plastic, and keeps plastic out of the environment. Others are working on ways to use microbes to break down plastics already in the environment to safe by-products. (Check this article for the history of using microbes to address plastic waste).
Blue Toby looks forward to continuing our journey toward sustainability as new technology and products that are friendlier to the environment take shape. We encourage everyone to make an effort to conserve precious natural resources by making thoughtful product choices.