Recycled polyester

In order to offer technical fabrics and membranes that minimize the impact of their production and use on the environment, AYAQ has chosen to eco-design many parts of the collections using recycled polyester.

The advantages of this choice are numerous.

Polyester is a synthetic fiber with many interesting properties: it has good abrasion resistance, absorbs little moisture and allows excellent evacuation of water and vapor, making it possible to create particularly breathable and technical fabrics.

This fiber dries quickly and has good lightfastness. It is rot-proof and therefore durable over time.

BUT

Polyester is a synthetic fiber, derived from plastic, produced from petroleum, which is the basic component of production. Oil, whose reserves are limited on earth, is therefore not a renewable raw material, and its extraction is highly polluting at many levels of the extraction and transport chain.

There is, however, a more responsible and sustainable alternative: recycled polyester.

In the vast majority of its collections, AYAQ uses polyester recycled from post-consumer plastic bottles. This gives a second life to a material that is not biodegradable.

The technical properties of recycled material are similar to those of virgin polyester, but the production of polyester in recycled form requires far fewer resources and energy. No new crude oil is extracted, C02 emissions during the recycling process are infinitely lower than when virgin polyester is produced, and its use as a second life reduces the volume of plastic waste in landfills and in the soil.

Chemical or mechanical?

There are two ways to manufacture recycled polyester: mechanically or chemically.

AYAQ has chosen to use polyester mechanically recycled The bottles are first sorted, then crushed into shavings which are melted down (without the use of chemicals) into granules. These granules are then heated and worked into wires using high-precision machines.

Chemical recycling, on the other hand, is a faster technique, but many environmentally harmful chemicals are used in its manufacture.

At AYAQ, we have decided not to use chemically recycled polyester. Mechanical recycling requires far fewer resources and energy to produce than virgin or chemically recycled polyester.

NewLife™ yarn, the majority used in our products, guarantees the same level of performance and quality as virgin yarn. Thanks to its unique production process, NewLife™ contributes to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions (-32%) that impact global warming, while also ensuring water (-94%) and energy (-64%) savings.

The main environmental limitation of polyester and recycled polyester: plastic microfibers.

Like all polyesters and other petroleum-based fibers, recycled polyester releases plastic microfibers. These micro-particles are released into the wastewater from washing machines, potentially ending up in downstream water circuits, and therefore in the environment.

To tackle this problem, AYAQ has chosen to use recycled polyester only when it adds real value to the garment in terms of technical performance and durability.

To solve the problem of microfiber leakage during washing, AYAQ recommends the use of a special washing bag, also known as a "Guppyfriend". By washing your polyester-based garments (or recycled polyester or other petroleum-based fibers) inside this bag specifically developed to recover plastic microparticles, you will limit the friction that can lead to pilling, and reduce the amount of microfibres released into the environment. A good gesture for the planet and for your clothes!