Barco Uniforms prevents pollution by 16.8 mn bottles

Each Barco One garment incorporates 5 recycled plastic bottles in its fabric and the brand has recycled 7.5 million bottles, while each Skechers garment is made from 7 recycled plastic bottles, resulting in 9.3 million recycled bottles to date. In addition to the sustainability factor, each scrub collection features moisture-wicking fabric with 4-way stretch that is designed to easily release soil.

"We are only starting to understand the devastating consequences of our global dependence on plastic and the pollution epidemic," said David Murphy, president and CEO of Barco Uniforms. "Barco is proud to have taken concrete steps to keep plastic bottles out of landfills and the waste stream. Barco One and Skechers collections are the first lines of medical scrubs to incorporate a sustainable element into their fabric, and we are eager to see an increase in the number of bottles that we incorporate into our fabric technology in the years to come."

To create the sustainable fabric, Barco relies on a RPET process. First, the bottles are cleaned and then shredded into pellets. From there, the pellets are crushed and melted, and the melted plastic is spun into thread which is woven with polyester.

"The last year has been marked by stories of marine animals washing up on shore with hundreds of tons of plastic pollution in their stomachs," said Peggy Schulz, vice president of corporate marketing of Barco Uniforms. "We've incorporated plastic bottles into our fabric with the hope of contributing to a cleaner world and a safer environment for marine life. Barco One's fabric technology not only helps marine life, it's also inspired by veterinarians due to its Quick-shed™ property, so it's truly a win-win for our environment and the animal kingdom alike."

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India