Polyester is the most widely-used clothing fiber in the world, as it’s inexpensive and doesn’t crease. Recycled bottles are now being used to produce synthetic materials and is as cheap as virgin polyester, according to Roger Lee, CEO of clothing manufacturer TAL Apparel. On the other hand, Made-to-measure fashion could go some way to reducing the number of garments made, but requires a shift in the industry.
“Today, we rarely use virgin polyester,” Lee told CNBC’s “Managing Asia: Sustainable Future.” “What do I mean by that? Quite often, our polyacetal (fiber) that we use are actually from recycled bottles.” Over the past two years, Lee said there has been a huge acceleration in the use of recycled plastics in fashion. “The reason is because the cost of using that has come down to the same price as using virgin polyester. And that’s the key — if the price is the same … (it’s) a no-brainer. It saves environments (and has) the same commercial costs.”
