How do plastic bottles become yoga mats?
Apr 19, 2022
Protecting our resources
Thirty years ago, the protection and preservation of our earth's natural resources was given a high political, international priority at the 1992 UN Conference in Rio de Janeiro. Nevertheless, mankind lives as if raw materials were available in unlimited quantities. The annual "Earth Day" on 22 April reminds us of the high "overuse" of land, water and other resources of our earth. In addition to the industrialised countries, the emerging and developing countries are also growing rapidly. The demand for raw materials continues to rise.
The catastrophic effects on the environment are already clearly noticeable. Ever longer and more pronounced periods of heat and drought, heavy rain and flooding are causing great damage. Entire harvests are being destroyed. The full extent could also be felt by us if there are no longer sufficient reserves of grain and fodder in storage.
Conserve and protect drinking water
Global warming and high consumption are also causing a sharp decline in our water reserves. The pollution of drinking water is constantly increasing due to overfertilisation and contamination. According to the water suppliers, it now requires immense technical effort to treat drinking water. That is why it is becoming more and more expensive. In the meantime, in many places, the so-called deep groundwater from a depth of 150 metres has to be tapped, which should be kept as an important resource for future generations.
Efforts needed from all sides
Since the countries of this world are mutually dependent on the import of raw materials, the solution to conserving resources lies in the international context. Major environmental challenges lie ahead. They must be tackled globally and quickly if the climate goal is to be nearly achieved and environmental catastrophes are to be contained.
At the national level, too, sensible incentives and subsidies are important to ensure that ecological management takes place in the countries and that greater importance is attached to the protection of local resources.
Last but not least, each individual must change their behaviour with regard to water and CO2 consumption and carefully consider consumption decisions. There are many ways to live more sustainably.
Reuse of raw materials - recycling has a high priority
One part that we as consumers can contribute to this is the recycling of raw materials. By collecting and separating recyclable materials, they can be reprocessed and reused. In this way, the original raw material is not consumed again. Although water and energy are also consumed in the reprocessing process, it is much less than in new production. Oil and water reserves are conserved and harmful emissions reduced if we make sure when we buy a product that it is made from recycled material.
Here you will learn how PET recycling works and why it is so important to promote this recycling cycle. Afterwards, we will show you concrete examples and ideas on how you can personally achieve positive effects for the environment.
Recyclable plastic PET
PET - polyethylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic that is easy to mould under heat and can be processed several times into high-quality products. The material is particularly suitable for bottles because it is light and unbreakable. If a product consists of other plastic compounds, it cannot be recycled together with PET because of the different melting point. That is why other plastics are collected separately and unfortunately not recycled for the most part. Research is working feverishly to ensure that these plastics can be chemically recycled and thus used again and again, for example through polymer technology.
PET recycling
Today, a PET beverage bottle consists of about 27 per cent recycled plastic. This proportion is steadily increasing; for some bottles it is already 50 per cent or more. The recycled PET is a valuable material, the so-called PET recyclate (RPET). It makes an important contribution to reducing the enormous quantities of plastic and CO2 emissions.
The PET recycling cycle
We all know the sign on the disposable beverage containers. For recycling, we take our bottles to the deposit machine. The bottles are immediately pressed so that a large quantity can be taken away by truck. The material is then sorted by colour, cleaned and ground at the recycling plant. Some of the colourful little "flakes" are used, for example, to fill cuddly toys or to make foil.
Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling
New bottles are mainly produced again from the food-grade recyclate. The flakes are melted down and processed into so-called regranulate. In the plastics processing plant, the regranulate is mixed with new granulate, heated and melted. From this mixture, small blanks (preforms) are produced for new bottles. These are easy to transport and are inflated to full size and filled at the beverage filling plant. Soft drinks, water, juices, milk and milk products as well as alcoholic beverages can then be found in new PET bottles on supermarket shelves.
High recycling rate due to deposit system
Due to the mandatory deposit, which was introduced in Germany in 2003, 98 per cent of the bottles end up back in the recycling cycle. The more cycles the RPET goes through, the greater the benefit for the environment. With each cycle, raw materials such as crude oil are saved. Incidentally, glass bottles do not necessarily have to be better than PET bottles in terms of eco-balance. Because transport weight and distance play an important role. The closer to the bottling plant, the better.
Demand for recycled material increases
High transport costs are one reason why around 80 per cent of the recyclable material from PET recycling is now recycled directly in Germany. PET is not only needed for bottle-to-bottle recycling. It is also ideally suited for the manufacture of a wide variety of products.
About 23 per cent of collected PET beverage bottles flow into the textile fibre industry. The white "flakes" are used, for example, to make T-shirts, fleece clothing or the lining of jackets. By melting them down, PET, which is a polyester, is turned into textile fibres. From five plastic bottles, enough fibres are obtained for a size XL T-shirt.
LUVIYO yoga mats produced from sustainable fabrics
Our yoga mats are also made from recycled PET. 15 PET bottles each are used in the production of our All-in-One and travel yoga mats. With your help, 602,330 plastic bottles have already been recycled. Another component of our yoga mats is biodegradable natural rubber. The yoga mats are completely free of harmful substances and offer maximum comfort for your workout thanks to the non-slip, absorbent microfibre mix.
Yoga in harmony with the environment
As yogis, it is a special concern for all of us to live in harmony with the environment and to act accordingly. Even if we cannot always implement everything: The constant drop wears away the stone, every little drop is important. I'm sure you can think of even more things, here are a few examples:
- Durable yoga equipment
- High-quality, sustainable yoga clothing instead of fast fashion
- regional, seasonal food
- No waste, mindful handling
- Reusable cups, jars and bags instead of disposable packaging
When it comes to packaging, there are new environmentally friendly alternatives such as kraft paper or bags made from recycled plastic. At LUVIYO, we use biodegradable bioplastic bags for shipping yogawear. Click here for more information.
Reduce plastic waste
Unfortunately, only a very small proportion of all plastics produced worldwide are recycled. Tonnes of plastic waste float in the world's oceans and destroy our ecological system. Microorganisms cannot break down these types of plastic. However, due to the high demand and demands on the material, they continue to be mass produced. This makes it all the more important that we live sustainability. Here are a few more suggestions:
- largely do without plastic
- Good care and long use of clothing, household items, furniture, sports equipment, etc.
- Passing things on to friends or those in need or saving them for the next generation
- Secondhand
- Buy recycled products
Recycled PET is increasingly being used as a raw material for a wide variety of products. Modern backpacks, bags and pet accessories inspire just as much as sustainable sports and leisurewear.
From plastic bottle to lamp - upcycling
In upcycling, a completely new life is breathed into the original object through reworking. From plastic, PET, aluminium, wool, polyester and other recyclables, designers create artistic but also practical things. Exciting live hack videos show you how to get creative yourself. Conjure up new things from valuable materials, such as lampshades, footstools, key rings, watering cans, decorative items or purses. It's easy on the wallet, too.