The fact that plastics are both cheap and eminently corrosion resistant makes them incredibly useful. There is, however, very much a downside to this usefulness in the way plastics seemingly last forever upon entering the waste stream. The result has been a pollution problem on land and at sea of truly epic proportion. Fortunately, there now appears to be at least the beginning of a solution, something called CICLO, what its creators describes as a technology that is “added to polyester and nylon during the melt extrusion process, creating countless biodegradable spots that are permanently embedded throughout the matrix of the plastic.” The result? In layman’s terms, plastic fibers that biodegrade at roughly the same rate as wool. Imagine the possibilities! Not surprisingly, the decorated-apparel sector, with its increasing interest in sustainability, is already putting the new technology to the test, with such industry leaders as Delta Apparel and Hanes/Champion incorporating it into their product lines. Good for them and good for CICLO! For more information, visit ciclotextiles.com.
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Photo courtesy of Impressions Expo
