Reducing our environmental impact is core to everything we’re doing at Endura; carbon offsetting, removing PFCs, designing for longevity, use of recycled fabrics and materials, and in-house repair services are part of a companywide approach that takes us further on our journey.
As a manufacturer of technical cycling apparel, many of the fabrics we use are made of synthetic fibres – polyester and nylon – that are derived from fossil fuels. By increasing the use of recycled polyester and nylon, we can help to reduce (in a relatively small way) the amounts of these materials that are sent to landfill or otherwise dumped into the natural environment. The recycling process also uses fewer resources that it takes to produce virgin fibres and so there can be a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Polyester can be recycled in two ways – mechanically and chemically. Mechanical recycling melts the material down before new fibres are created. This can only be done a few times before the quality of the recycled yarn suffers. Chemical recycling is a very nascent technology which aims to return polyesters back to high quality virgin yarns thus creating a powerful circular system.
You can find recycled polyester and nylon, in various percentages, in more and more of our products including the SingleTrack Core T, GV500 Reiver Jersey, Pro SL Long Sleeve Jersey, Women’s SingleTrack Hoodie and Kids MT500 Long Sleeve Jersey.To make it easier to find the products that used recycled materials, we’re in the process of adding information on the materials used to the Product Details section of our new website, along with the percentages used. e.g. GV500 Reiver Jersey - Nylon 10%, Elastane 10%, Recycled Polyester 80%. Searching the site for “recycled” will display the products that make uses of recycled fabrics.
We know we have a long way to go on our journey, but by taking sensible steps on a number of fronts, we’re heading in the right direction. Find out more about the company wide projects that we’re working on in our series of Sustainability Stories articles.