Recycled polyester — what it actually means

Recycled polyester — usually labelled rPET — is polyester made from post-consumer plastic, most commonly PET bottles. The bottles are collected, cleaned, broken down into chips, and spun into fibre. The Summit Fleece uses 280gsm recycled polyester fleece made entirely from rPET. The environmental case for it is reasonably strong. Producing rPET uses significantly less energy than virgin polyester — estimates vary, but the figure commonly cited is around 30-50% less. It also diverts plastic from landfill or the ocean, which is a direct and measurable benefit. The more complicated issue is microplastics. Polyester — recycled or otherwise — sheds microfibres when washed, and those fibres end up in waterways. This is an industry-wide problem that doesn't have a clean solution yet. We'd recommend using a Guppyfriend wash bag, which catches a significant proportion of shed fibres. We're honest about the fact that rPET isn't a silver bullet. The ideal is to move away from synthetic fibres altogether for most garments. But for a mid-layer fleece, there's currently no natural-fibre alternative that performs the same way at the same weight. In that context, rPET is the better choice. The certification matters too. Our supplier is bluesign-certified, which covers energy use, water consumption, and chemical management across the manufacturing process. It's not a perfect system, but it's a meaningful independent check. We'll keep reviewing this as the industry develops. If a better option becomes available at a price point that works, we'll switch. Until then, rPET is where we are.