Eco-Friendly Marvel
Transform 30 PET Bottles into a Curtain
In 2020, the Tokyo Olympic Games Organizing Committee declared that a series of related items fabricated from recycled materials will be employed in the current Olympic and Paralympic Games. The podium will be constructed using recycled household plastics and ocean plastics, while the uniforms for torchbearers will be manufactured from recycled fiber derived from plastic bottles. This initiative is intended to draw public attention to the issue of ocean plastic waste and advocate for environmental protection among the general populace.
Waste plastic bottles undergo a remarkable "metamorphosis" process. Initially, various waste plastic bottles are pulverized into plastic flakes. After undergoing over 20 procedures including cleansing, drying, melting, and filtration, the material is heated and drawn into filaments. Fine white fibers as slender as silk are then produced by the machine. Through subsequent processes such as cutting and curling, they are converted into recycled polyester staple fibers.
Recycled fiber is synthesized by integrating modern scientific and technological methodologies such as chemistry and physics with spinning processes, utilizing waste bottle flakes, plastics, and discarded clothing as raw materials. Recycled fiber textile products are textile commodities fabricated from recycled fiber, incorporating numerous novel technologies and processes in accordance with application and functional requisites.
With the propagation of sustainable development, an escalating number of fashion brands are engaging in environmental protection endeavors. For instance, Everlane employs recycled plastic bottles as the raw material for the fabric of its padded garments; ETRO's #ForTheOcean down jackets are each crafted from 120 recycled plastic bottles; Polo Ralph Lauren has introduced Polo shirts made from recycled plastics; the American sports brand Converse utilizes recycled plastic bottles to fabricate canvas footwear; and the American environmentally friendly women's shoe brand Rothy’s manufactures shoes with 100% recycled plastic bottles as the raw material. In comparison to fibers made from virgin plastics, products made from recycled plastics are not inferior. The utilization of polyester fibers converted from plastic bottles to substitute new materials has instigated a new vogue in the apparel industry.
In waste plastic processing facilities, plastic bottles are sorted by machinery, segregating the bottle caps, bottle bodies, and labels. They are ultimately crushed into bottle flakes by machines and transported to chemical fiber enterprises. Chemical fibers are ubiquitously utilized in all facets of people's production and livelihood, and numerous clothing and home textile products are fabricated therefrom. For the majority of individuals, it is a novel perception that the discarded plastic bottles may be transformed into clothing and return to them.
The Yulitex intelligent plastic shredder is a newly upgraded high-performance fine crusher. It adopts a single-shaft "dual-motor + dual-reducer" drive design, providing a substantial shearing force and ensuring a high crushing output. It is frequently employed for the fine crushing of solid waste and can process materials to a small particle size in a single operation. It is widely applied in fields such as resource recycling, the production of refuse-derived fuel from domestic waste, plastic processing, and waste disposal. It features a small discharge particle size, a replaceable screen, a wide range of material applicability, and high efficiency. This equipment is a large-scale, high-yield device suitable for crushing various materials, and can handle bundled tough or medium-hard substances such as plastic films, plastic bottles, and plastic oil drums.
The characteristics of the Yulitex intelligent plastic shredder are as follows:
1. The cutter is fabricated from materials imported from Europe, with high crushing power, robust wear resistance, and a long service life.
2. The entire machine frame is welded with high-strength steel plates, capable of withstanding high torque, rendering the fuselage extremely solid and durable.
3. It utilizes GI intelligent technology to control and monitor the entire production process in real time, with online running status monitoring and centralized control. It also possesses functions such as start, stop, reverse, and automatic reverse control under overload conditions.
4. It employs imported bearings and multiple combined seals, with high load resistance and a long service life. It is dustproof, waterproof, and antifouling, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the machine.
5. The easy-twist-arm hydraulic material pressing device can smoothly and effectively propel the material into the crushing area. The hydraulic-assisted maintenance door and the hydraulic-assisted screen opening and closing structure can be opened with a single click, significantly facilitating the replacement, maintenance, and repair of the cutter and screen.
Waste cola bottles, mineral water bottles, etc. are petroleum products (with the principal component being PET, also known as polyester). After being recycled, they are washed through a fully automated cleaning processing line. Subsequently, the bottles are processed into crushed bottle flakes and further processed into recycled polyester filaments through a fully automated spinning device. This constitutes the semi-finished product of the fabric and is supplied to downstream clothing textile fabric enterprises. This processing is largely "original," for example, blue bottles are processed into blue filaments, and green bottles into green filaments, saving certain dyeing procedures. Finally, through textile equipment, items such as clothing, curtains, toys, and home textiles are produced.
Recycled fiber has substantially expanded fiber resources. With the continuous enhancement of textile technology, the functionality of recycled fiber can even surpass that of virgin fiber. Most importantly, recycled fiber converts waste into usable resources, realizing the closed-loop circular economy model of "resources - products - consumption - recycled resources" and achieving the unity of green, circular, low-carbon, and high added value.