Recycled polyester activewear and swimwear are now everywhere. Major global brands sell leggings, swimsuits and puffer jackets with labels that claim they’re “made from recycled plastic bottles”. Millions of people buy these products believing they’re making a more sustainable choice.

The logic seems straightforward. Turning existing plastic waste into clothing is better than landfill.

However, the story is more complicated. What looks like circular recycling is often a one-way trip to landfill, revealing how recycled fabrics can mask environmental problems rather than solve them.

Where the plastic really comes from

Despite images of ocean clean-ups in glossy marketing, most recycled polyester used in fashion doesn’t come from marine waste or even old clothing. Instead, it comes from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drink bottles.

The most recent Materials Market Report shows that about 98% of recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles. Textile-to-textile recycling accounts for less than 1% of the supply. And activewear is the single largest apparel use of recycled polyester in fashion supply chains.

Consequently, many garments marketed as “sustainable” rely on plastic taken from an effective recycling system, rather than addressing fashion’s own textile waste.

How PET bottle recycling works

PET, the plastic used to make drink........

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