Our commitment to creating the highest quality blank garments in the most responsible way possible starts with our choice of raw materials. After organic cotton – which accounts for over 90% of our raw material use – recycled polyester is our next most used raw material, at just over 7%.
Back in 2018, we eliminated all virgin polyester from our products. Since then, we’ve only used GRS certified recycled polyester, made from post-consumer PET bottles. Most of our outerwear garments are made from recycled polyester. And although almost all our sweatshirts are 100% organic cotton, some are made from an 85% organic cotton/15% recycled polyester blend.
Why recycled polyester?
Polyester is a durable, lightweight and fast-drying material that doesn’t stretch, shrink or wrinkle. It’s therefore a popular choice for everyday garments. But virgin polyester is made from petroleum. The more virgin polyester the textile industry uses, the more demand there is for this fossil fuel. Alongside the high environmental cost of continuing to extract fossil fuels, tonnes of plastic waste end up in landfills and the ocean every year.
Recycling that waste into textiles is one way to tackle both issues – reducing the demand for virgin polyester and keeping waste out of nature. It also takes less energy to recycle polyester than carry out the complex processes to produce virgin polyester.
Recycled polyester has the same properties and performance as virgin polyester, so it’s ideal for creating high-quality garments that can withstand everyday wear and tear – like our outwear styles.
Depending on the style, it takes between 38 to 80 plastic bottles of 550 ml to produce one of our jackets.
But how exactly are PET bottles transformed into garments? And what different steps are involved?
The journey from bottle to garment
Transforming discarded PET bottles into stylish, ready-to decorate Stanley/Stella garments is a journey involving many complex processes.
To better understand that journey, and meet the people involved, our Sustainability team went on a field trip in 2023, visiting collection points, spinners and the partner factories making our outerwear.
Collecting and sorting
The journey begins with the collection of PET bottles, typically used for drinks and other consumer products. Once they’ve been thrown away, these bottles often end up in recycling bins or collection centres. The bottles are carefully sorted by colour and type – this step is crucial to ensure the purity of the recycled material.
Cleaning and shredding
Once sorted, the PET bottles are thoroughly cleaned to remove any contents, labels, adhesives or other impurities. After cleaning, the bottles are shredded into small flakes – essentially the building blocks of recycled polyester.
Melting and pelletising
The shredded PET flakes are melted and formed into tiny pellets. These pellets are the raw material for creating polyester fibres. It’s at this stage that the discarded plastic starts to gain new value as a reusable resource.
Melt spinning
The pellets are melted once again and spun into fine polyester fibers in a process known as melt spinning. The thickness and length of the fibres can be determined, depending on the specific requirements of the fabric being produced.
Weaving and final production
The polyester fibres are woven into yarn to create a durable and breathable fabric, which is then used to create Stanley/Stella outerwear garments.
Traceability and transparency
Getting to know our supply chain inside out is a key element of who we are as a company. By fully understanding where our raw materials come from, the processes they go through, and who is involved in those processes, we can stand by our promise to to deliver garments that meet the highest social, ethical and environmental standards.
