Recycled Fabric, Made from 100% Post-Consumer Plastic

We manufacture recycled fabric and recycled fabrics for brands, procurement teams, and product developers who need real recycled material, not a diluted claim. 

The materials we offer

Our recycled fabric range is built on three distinct materials, and we keep them separate rather than blending the story, because buyers need to know exactly what they are specifying.

rPET

rPET is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. It is the closest match to virgin polyester in performance and the material most of our recycled fabric and recycled plastic fabric customers order.

rPP

rPP is sourced entirely from post-consumer food containers. This is a deliberate sourcing decision on our part, and it means rPP feedstock never includes other plastic waste streams. We use rPP for applications like woven bags, where its properties suit the product better than rPET.

rLDPE

rLDPE is a separate material again, used specifically for delivery mailers. It is distinct from both rPP bags and rPET textiles, and buyers sourcing packaging-grade recycled plastic should look here rather than at our fabric range.

Choosing between rPET and rPP

Buyers new to recycled fabric often ask us how to choose between rPET and rPP, and the honest answer is that the decision usually follows the application rather than the material story. rPET behaves like polyester, so it suits woven and knitted fabrics for apparel, sportswear, and home textiles, anywhere you would normally specify polyester today. rPP behaves differently and is better suited to structured products like woven bags, where its stiffness and strength characteristics do a better job than a polyester-based fabric would.

We are happy to talk through the application with you directly if you are not sure which material fits. Getting this right at the sourcing stage avoids a costly redevelopment later, and it is a conversation we have with most new buyers before any order is placed.

1.

rPET Woven and knitted fabrics

 

Our rPET woven and knitted fabrics bring recycled content to apparel, sportswear, and home textiles, all made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. They behave like the polyester your patterns already use, so you get verified recycled content without changing how the fabric performs or how a garment is built.

2.

rPP Nonwoven

 

Our rPP is made entirely from post-consumer food containers and comes in both woven and nonwoven constructions for shopping bags, packaging, and other everyday products. It is durable, lightweight, and fully traceable, and it holds up where a structured bag needs more strength than a polyester-based fabric provides.

From streetwear to luxury fashion

Our materials go into fashion apparel, sportswear, and reusable bags, among other applications. In apparel, that spans everyday wear, outerwear, and linings. In sportswear, it covers base layers, team kit, and technical outerwear, where the fabric needs to perform as well as carry a verified recycled story. In bags, our rPP is the more common choice, built into totes and structured carriers that need more rigidity than a polyester-based fabric provides.

Fashion and apparel

We supply recycled fabric and yarn for fashion brands building everyday wear, outerwear, and linings, all from rPET made with 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. It behaves like the polyester your patterns already use, so a verified recycled story slots into your range without changing how a garment is designed or made.

Sportswear and performance

Our recycled sportswear fabric is engineered for stretch, moisture management, and durability through repeated washing, and it matches virgin polyester on performance while starting from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. It comes by the metre or as finished products, with the same RA3 verification applied across the range.

Bags and other applications

Beyond apparel, we produce recycled material for reusable bags and other products, using rPP sourced entirely from post-consumer food containers where its strength suits the build better than a polyester fabric would. Whatever the application, the same verified content and certification stack sits behind it.

The environmental case, with real numbers

We do not describe our recycled fabric as sustainable without attaching a number to the claim. Compared with virgin polyester, our rPET uses 70% less energy, 86% less water, and produces 75% less COâ‚‚. Compared with virgin polypropylene, our rPP uses 88% less energy, 46% less water, and produces 71% less COâ‚‚.

Those figures matter more against the context of what else is on the market. Most competitors satisfy only a 20% recycling requirement in their claimed recycled content, which means the majority of what they sell as recycled fabric is still virgin material. Our full post-consumer sourcing, 100% for rPET and food-container-only for rPP, is the differentiator here, not a marketing claim layered on top of an ordinary product.

Our Environmental Impact Report gives you those numbers for the item you actually made.

70%

less energy used

86%

less water used

75%

less COâ‚‚ emitted

Figures for rPET, measured against virgin polyester production

Most of the line, not one collection

Fabienne Chapot has moved the majority of its polyester across to fabric made from recycled bottles. Each new fabric has its own optics and handfeel to develop before it can replace the virgin equivalent, so the work is continuous rather than a launch.

Frequently asked questions

What are Waste2Wear’s recycled fabrics made from?

Waste2Wear’s recycled materials come from two post-consumer sources. Our rPET fabrics are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, processed into yarn that is woven or knitted into finished textiles. Our rPP nonwoven is made from recycled polypropylene recovered from post-consumer food-grade packaging. Both keep used plastic in productive use rather than sending it to landfill or incineration.

What is rPET fabric?

rPET fabric is a textile made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate, the same plastic used in drinks bottles. Instead of starting from new petroleum-based material, it begins with bottles that have already been used and discarded. Once recycled into yarn, it offers the same durability, dyeability and moisture-wicking performance as virgin polyester, with a far smaller environmental footprint.

How is fabric made from recycled plastic bottles?

Fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles by cleaning the bottles, breaking them down into small flakes, then melting and extruding those flakes into fine filaments. The filaments are spun into yarn and woven or knitted into finished fabric. Every stage is recorded, so the finished textile can be traced back to its source material.

How does rPET compare to virgin polyester?

From a performance standpoint, rPET behaves the same as virgin polyester, with the same strength, dyeability and moisture management. The difference lies entirely in the source and the footprint. Producing rPET from recycled bottles uses 70% less energy, 86% less water and 75% less CO2 than producing virgin polyester from new raw materials.

What is the environmental impact of recycled fabric?

Recycled fabric carries a much lower environmental impact than its virgin equivalent. Our rPET uses 70% less energy, 86% less water and 75% less CO2 than virgin polyester, and our rPP nonwoven uses 88% less energy, 46% less water and 71% less CO2 than virgin polypropylene. Choosing recycled material also keeps post-consumer plastic in productive use rather than sending it to landfill.

How do you verify the recycled content of your fabrics?

We verify recycled content using RA3, our patent-pending in-house testing method that measures the precise percentage of recycled material in a product. The methodology has been validated by Wessling, an independent laboratory, and third-party verification of individual products is available on request. This matters because many recycled textiles on the market only meet a 20% recycling requirement, and RA3 shows you exactly what you are getting.

What certifications do Waste2Wear fabrics carry?

Our fabrics are produced under GRS, the Global Recycled Standard, which certifies recycled content and responsible production. All of our factories are additionally certified to BSCI, GOTS and RDS standards, covering social compliance, organic textile handling and responsible down sourcing. Together these give brands documented assurance across both the material and the conditions it was made in.

Can I order custom colours and fabric weights?

Yes, we work with your product team to match fabric weight, hand feel and colour to your requirements. If you have specific technical specifications, we can discuss those during the sampling process so the finished material fits your application rather than forcing you to adapt to a fixed range.

How does traceability work on the finished product?

Every finished product carries a QR code that links to its full supply chain story, from where the plastic was collected through to how it was processed and manufactured. That information is recorded on blockchain, which makes it tamper-proof and permanently accessible. The result is traceability you can show to customers, auditors and regulators rather than simply claim.

Can recycled fabric be used for fashion and sportswear?

Yes, recycled rPET fabric is well suited to both fashion and sportswear. It offers the same durability, dyeability and moisture-wicking performance as virgin polyester, which makes it equally at home in high-end fashion collections and in performance activewear. Brands use our rPET across streetwear, tailored apparel and technical sportswear, with full certification and traceability on every product.

What is rPP nonwoven used for?

rPP nonwoven is used mainly for reusable shopping bags, packaging and other durable everyday applications. Made from recycled polypropylene, it is lightweight, strong and fully traceable, which makes it a practical choice where you need resilience without weight. Compared to virgin polypropylene, our rPP uses 88% less energy, 46% less water and 71% less CO2 to produce.

Ideas, insights, and updates from our team

Building a circular future requires transparency and constant innovation. Here, we share news, insights, and project developments that highlight how we are transforming waste into premium products for global brands.

Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings representatives at the Waste2Wear manufacturing facility with recycled material in the background

Yesterday’s Food Container, Tomorrow’s Shopping Bag: Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings Launch in Southern Africa

A Waste2Wear scientist examining a sample under a microscope in the lab

How recycled content actually gets verified

Close-up of recycled polypropylene (rPP) flakes

PPWR recycled-content thresholds, in practice

Case Study: The Jane Goodall Institute

A Waste2Wear scientist examining a sample under a microscope in the lab

How recycled content actually gets verified

Why we are moving our rPP bags to food-grade post-consumer packaging 

Close-up of recycled polypropylene (rPP) flakes

PPWR recycled-content thresholds, in practice

PPWR supplier questionnaire and recycled packaging compliance documentation

PPWR supplier questionnaires are arriving. Here’s what brands should ask recycled packaging suppliers

Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings representatives at the Waste2Wear manufacturing facility with recycled material in the background

Yesterday’s Food Container, Tomorrow’s Shopping Bag: Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings Launch in Southern Africa