Recycled Polyester Fabric: From Plastic Bottles to Your Wardrobe

Every day, millions of plastic bottles end up in trash bins around the world.

- Tanvi Munjal

But what if these bottles could get a second life as the shirt you're wearing or the cushion on your sofa? That's exactly what's happening with recycled polyester fabric, and it’s changing how the textile industry thinks about making clothes.

What Is Recycled Polyester?

Recycled polyester (often rPET) is a polyester fibre made using recycled PET, for example, plastic bottles, industrial polyester waste or textile waste, instead of making fibre solely from new, virgin petroleum-derived raw materials. The recycled material is collected, cleaned, processed and then spun into new fibre and fabric.

Think about it: approximately 49% of all clothing worldwide contains polyester. That's nearly half of everything hanging in closets and stores. But here's the problem: regular polyester doesn't break down naturally, and currently only 1% of old clothes get recycled into new ones. The rest? About 92 million tons of textile waste each year, heading to landfills or incinerators.

The Money Side: Market Size and Growth

The recycled polyester business is booming. The global market was worth about $15.5 billion in 2024, and experts predict it'll nearly double to $26.18 billion by 2030. That's growing at roughly 9.25% every year, faster than most textile segments. (Source: Recycled Polyester Market (2025 - 2030))

Why the rush? Big brands are making bold promises. Companies like Patagonia, Adidas, H&M, and Nike are switching to recycled materials. PUMA wants 30% of its polyester from recycled sources by 2030. Even fast-fashion giant Shein is investing in better recycling technology. When industry giants move, the whole market follows.