Recycled polyester: an eco-responsible solution?

Our school bags are made in 80% recycled polyester . 80% because some materials, like the base, which is made of waterproof faux leather for added durability, are not recyclable.

Although recycled, it remains polyester (PET), therefore a plastic material. Recycling limits primary polyester production but will never replace it. polyester cannot be recycled infinitely .

Could we use more sustainable materials? A look at our research and experiences on this subject.

What is recycled polyester?

Polyester is manufactured as a fiber for the fashion industry. It makes up 70% of our clothing. It is a plastic material So it's a petroleum derivative. It's made from plastic waste (bottles, clothing, packaging, etc.). Recycled polyester, although recycled, is still polyester, therefore a plastic material.

Recycling limits primary polyester production but will never replace it, as polyester cannot be recycled indefinitely. Recycled polyester made from ocean cleanup is available. It is therefore more environmentally friendly because, in addition to limiting production, it reduces the amount of plastic in the environment, thus "purifying" it.

Our recycled polyester is GRS certified . It provides you with technical, environmental, social and health guarantees.

Why do we use recycled polyester?

We use it in our school bags because it's flexible, fluid, easy to work with, very strong, and inexpensive. It allows us to offer sturdy school bags; it's sufficiently rigid to allow for an ergonomic design that protects children's backs and our school bags remain affordable in terms of cost.

For this we use a premium version polyester fabric: 900 denier , a tight weave that improves the fabric's strength. You might not realize it, but our school bags are highly technical: it takes 132 operations and 72 minutes to make a Caramel & cie school bag.

Why only 80% recycled polyester?

Our school bags are made from 80% recycled polyester. 80% because some materials, such as the base, some tabs, and bias binding, are made of imitation leather for its textured look or abrasion resistance. These materials are not recyclable due to their polyurethane coating.

But things are changing and we should soon be able to offer all Our collections are made from 100% recycled materials , as recycling technology is progressing rapidly.

Our school bags are Eco-designed . This means we try to limit the amount of fabric used, as well as the factors that disrupt recycling and make it complex, expensive, or even impossible. All the fabrics and threads used in our school bags are made from GRS recycled polyester.

Our goal is to have 100% polyester in our school bags, as this would facilitate their recycling, which is currently expensive due to the dismantling process (it takes almost as long to dismantle a school bag as it does to manufacture it!).

Could we use more sustainable materials than recycled polyester?

Each material has its advantages and disadvantages. To produce sustainably, we must evaluate multiple criteria.

There are 5 main ones that are generally accepted:

• Preserving resources and ecosystems,
• Create decent jobs,
• To offer durable products to the widest possible audience (at a controlled cost, therefore),
• Avoid water pollution,
• Preserving the climate (carbon footprint-CO2).

Given that we have one criterion on which we will be uncompromising: the materials selected must allow us to manufacture ergonomic school bags because you don't joke around with the children's health .

Despite all our research, recycled polyester remains by far the material that best meets the 5 criteria of a product that is good for the planet.

Let's compare polyester to cotton, for example (although the latter cannot be used to make an ergonomic schoolbag):

• Recycled cotton and polyester have an equivalent carbon footprint
• Recycled polyester has a very low impact on drinking water, land use, and biodiversity, unlike cotton (which requires 6 tons of drinking water to produce 1 kg of cotton). Furthermore, cotton cultivation uses pesticides that impact the environment, biodiversity, and human health.
• Cotton is partly produced through forced labor, which is not the case for GRS-labeled recycled polyester, which guarantees regulated and verified wages and working conditions.
• Unlike cotton, recycled polyester can generate microplastics.
• A schoolbag generates significantly less than clothing, since the microplastics from polyester are mostly produced during machine washing of our clothes, which does not happen for a schoolbag.

We also studied linen, wool, hemp, Tencel, and Lyocell. Recycled polyester sourced from ocean cleanup is currently too expensive or too far from our production sites. But we are exploring solutions.

The choice of materials: a complex issue

It is clear, therefore, that selecting ethical materials is a complex task and that one should not rely on intuition but seek guidance from specialists. Thank you to The Beautiful Imprint who supports us in this process.

We must also consider external criteria specific to our profession. We design products for children, and this gives us... Responsibilities . The weight of school bags is a societal issue, therefore ergonomics are important. and the comfort are priority criteria and influence the choice of materials.

And being 100% eco-responsible and selling a €250 schoolbag is easy, but what would be the point of all that effort if it's only for a tiny minority? Ultimately, the hardest part is staying affordable while ticking as many boxes as possible!