That "made with recycled materials" tag may sound like a guilt-free reason to buy new clothes, but an expert says shoppers should be far more skeptical, especially when brands use it to promote recycled polyester as a sustainable upgrade.
In their view, recycled polyester is more branding than breakthrough, and it can still leave people with clothes that don't last and eventually become plastic waste.
Here's what to know
In a YouTube video, shopping writer Bryce Gruber (@BryceGruberHermon) said many brands promote recycled polyester as a greener choice, even though it is usually made from plastic bottles rather than worn-out clothing. For her, that means it doesn't really solve fashion's waste problem in a circular way.
She said the trouble comes once those bottles are converted into apparel. Bottle-to-bottle recycling can keep the material in that stream, but turning it into garments — especially pieces blended with cotton, elastane, or other fibers — makes future recycling much harder.
As she put it, brands are marketing recycled polyester "as like this hero fabric, this savior of the Earth, and it's not."
She emphasized that a recycled label does not change what polyester is: a fossil-fuel-based plastic that sheds tiny fibers and does not biodegrade. Gruber cited a 2024 study that found over 30% more microfiber shedding from recycled polyester than from virgin polyester, which she linked to weaker fibers and lower durability.
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"The North Face was selling fleece jackets made out of recycle plastic," one commenter wrote. "If you rubbed the jacket a little too much then it would start pilling and start looking old very fast. It's trash."
"Good information," another added. "What about workout clothing options? I've tried wool T-shirts and cannot tolerate them when I sweat."
More background
Some companies, such as Trashie, do take old clothes — even old socks — and help to turn them into new clothes, which is generally a net benefit. But Gruber's issue is that other companies can use recycled polyester as an eco-friendly selling point without changing the churn of buying and discarding clothes. Because the material sounds more responsible, shoppers may end up purchasing more than they otherwise would.
She framed it as both a value and an environmental issue. If recycled polyester garments pill quickly, feel rough, lose shape, or break down sooner, she argued, shoppers may wind up paying extra for "sustainable" pieces that need replacing faster.
In a fast-fashion system already linked to major environmental and human costs, overproducing cheap clothing contributes to water contamination, air pollution, and enormous amounts of waste, while many low-cost supply chains depend on exploitative labor practices. It can also not be a real bargain, as poorly made garments wear out quickly and must be replaced again and again.
Gruber was not arguing that recycled polyester never has a place. She said it can have a lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and may be useful for some technical products, but that doesn't make every recycled-polyester garment an environmentally responsible choice.
What can be done?
Her advice was to question the green label itself: Find out whether a piece came from old textiles or bottle waste, consider whether it is durable enough to last for years, and remember that blended fibers can make future recycling nearly impossible.
Rather than focus on marketing language, she said shoppers should pay attention to how a garment is made, how it feels, and how long it is likely to hold up. By that logic, a durable natural-fiber piece — or another virgin-material garment that lasts longer — can sometimes be the better purchase.
In practice, buying fewer pieces and choosing better ones can cut waste and replacement costs, even if that does not fix the fashion industry on its own. Gruber also suggested that long use and proper garment care matter more than an eye-catching sustainability claim.
Gruber's bottom line was simple: "The most sustainable garment is rarely the one with the cleverest label. It's the one you'll wear repeatedly, care for properly and keep out of the trash for as long as possible."
Where can I learn more?
For a closer look at the tradeoffs behind recycled fabrics and other sustainability claims in fashion, these stories dig into textile waste, material choices, and the limits of circular-fashion marketing.
• Fashion experts warn the white-clothing trend favors heavier synthetic fabrics that are not especially sustainable.
• Scientists have developed a new way to separate cotton-polyester blends, making textile recycling more practical.
• Biodegradable synthetic clothing still leaves behind microplastic pollution instead of fully breaking down.
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