Why We Choose Recycled Plastic (For Now)
When we talk about “sustainable” activewear, the conversation often gets simplified into two camps: natural fibres vs synthetic fabrics.
But the reality is more nuanced than that.
As someone who lives in activewear — training daily, running a gym, and building Earthletica — I care deeply about two things: performance and impact. Because if it doesn’t perform, you won’t wear it. And if you don’t wear it, it doesn’t matter how sustainable it might be.
So here’s why we’ve chosen recycled plastic for our performance activewear — not just over virgin plastic, but over natural fibres too.
Recycled vs Virgin Plastic: A More Responsible Starting Point
Most traditional activewear is made from virgin polyester or nylon — plastics created directly from petroleum. Extracting and refining crude oil into new synthetic fibres is energy-intensive and chemically heavy.
Virgin plastic production:
- Requires new fossil fuel extraction
- Uses intensive chemical processing
- Produces higher greenhouse gas emissions
- Adds new plastic into circulation
Recycled plastic, on the other hand, repurposes existing waste — like discarded water bottles — and transforms it into performance fibres.
That means:
- Less reliance on new oil
- Lower overall energy use
- Reduced carbon emissions
- Waste diverted from landfill and waterways
Lifecycle assessments conducted through GreenStory show measurable reductions in carbon emissions and water use compared to virgin polyester. Recycled fibres still undergo processing, but they bypass the most resource-intensive stage: fossil fuel extraction and primary polymer creation.
It’s not perfect — but it’s a significantly more responsible starting point.
We also partner with Upparel to ensure garments are diverted from landfill at end-of-life and repurposed wherever possible, while textile-to-textile recycling technology continues to evolve globally.
Lower Lifecycle Impact = A Cleaner System
Activewear sits directly against your skin when your pores are open and sweating. What it’s made from matters.
While recycled fibres still go through processing, they skip crude oil extraction and first-stage polymer creation — reducing the overall chemical and carbon footprint of the fabric’s lifecycle.
Today’s high-quality recycled performance fabrics are engineered to be:
- Sweat-wicking
- Breathable
- Quick-drying
- Tested for skin safety
- Equal in strength and durability to virgin equivalents
You’re wearing a fibre made from reclaimed material rather than newly extracted fossil fuel — re-engineered for performance.
Why Not Just Use Natural Fibres?
When we first started Earthletica, we explored natural fibres like cotton, bamboo, and wool.
Natural fibres absolutely have a place — especially in lower-intensity or layering pieces (which is why we use organic cotton in our outerwear). But when it comes to high-intensity training, they currently don’t deliver the compression, stretch recovery, and durability required for serious performance.
Here’s what we found:
- Cotton absorbs moisture and holds it
- Wet fabric becomes heavy and cold
- Stretch recovery is limited
- Shape retention declines over time
- Support and compression are minimal
If you’ve ever done a sweaty strength session or HIIT class in cotton, you know the feeling — damp, clingy, uncomfortable.
And here’s the sustainability paradox:
When something doesn’t perform, you don’t reach for it.
If it sits in your drawer because it feels heavy, loses shape, or doesn’t support you properly, it doesn’t matter that it’s natural. The most sustainable garment is the one you wear again and again.
What About Microplastics?
It’s important to acknowledge this clearly: recycled polyester is still plastic. Like all synthetic fabrics, it can shed microfibres during washing.
That’s a real industry issue.
Two things matter here:
- Durability. Higher-quality, tightly constructed fabrics shed less over time and last significantly longer.
- Responsibility. We encourage washing in microfibre-catching bags or filters to reduce fibre release.
Recycled plastic isn’t the final answer — it’s a transitional step while we invest in true plastic-free innovation.
Durability = Real Sustainability
This is the part the sustainability conversation often skips.
If a garment pills, stretches out, fades, or loses compression after a few months, it gets replaced. Fast turnover equals more production, more waste, more impact.
Recycled performance fibres are engineered for:
- 4-way stretch
- Compression and support
- Sweat evaporation
- Shape retention
- Durability across hundreds of washes
That longevity reduces cost-per-wear and environmental impact per use.
Performance and sustainability aren’t competing forces — they reinforce each other when done properly.
Why Recycled Is Our Starting Point
Choosing recycled plastic activewear helps:
- Reduce freshwater consumption
- Divert existing waste
- Extend the lifecycle of materials already in circulation
- Avoid new fossil fuel extraction
It’s not about pretending plastic doesn’t exist.
It’s about being responsible with the plastic that already does.
Fully plastic-free, high-compression activewear at scale doesn’t yet meet our durability and stretch standards — but we’re investing heavily in R&D to help make that future possible.
Our goal to use material innovation to create change.
The Bottom Line
Virgin plastic creates more new waste and carries a heavier fossil fuel and carbon footprint.
Natural fibres often don’t deliver the durability and performance required for high-intensity training, which can reduce wear frequency and lifespan.
Recycled performance fibres currently sit in the middle — delivering:
- High performance
- Lower lifecycle impact
- Reduced resource use
- Extended garment longevity
Sustainability isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.
Recycled plastic isn’t the end goal. It’s the most responsible performance option available today — while we build what comes next.
We’re here for the long game. To improve what exists. To innovate what doesn’t yet. And to create activewear that performs at the highest level without compromising the future.
Thank you for being part of that journey.
— Libby
Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer
