Polo Ralph Lauren on Thursday launched a version of its iconic polo shirt made entirely of recycled plastic bottles. The shirts are dyed through a process that uses zero water.
David Lauren, youngest son of the company’s founder, says the new shirt is part of a broader strategy. Ralph Lauren is seeking changes to its manufacturing processes to be more environmentally conscious.
The plastic Polo isn’t the first of its kind. Smaller brands around the world use repurposed and recycled materials too. But Ralph Lauren has the opportunity to make a significant impact, due to the company’s size. In announcing Earth Polo, Ralph Lauren committed to removing at least 170 million bottles from landfills and oceans by 2025. The shirts are manufactured in Taiwan, where the bottles are collected. Each uses an average 12 bottles.
The clothing company partnered with First Mile to create this line of shirts. First Mile is an organization that collects bottles from the environment. The bottles will be turned into plastic fibers, which will be turned into yarn, and ultimately into fabric. The plastic fibers will also be used for existing performance wear. Those clothing items were already made of polyfibers, which wick away moisture. Soon they’ll be made of recycled polyfibers.
The Earth Polo comes in styles for men and women in green, white, navy and light blue. The shirts are not more expensive than other Polos. Sounds great, right?
Is this the answer to the problem of plastics in our oceans? Not so fast, say some critics.
A huge threat facing oceans today involves trillions of tiny plastic microfibers that flow from washing machines through drain water. (Think of dryer lint—only this is the part that washes away before it makes it to the dryer.)
Environmental scientists say these tiny plastic bits of fibers place smaller fish and sea life, such as anemones, at risk.
The broader question of biodegradability remains unresolved. What happens to that old Polo now when it’s worn out? A cotton shirt would eventually biodegrade, returning to the components that it grew from long ago in a cotton field.
At this time, the Ralph Lauren company is focusing on the positive. For Earth Polo, the story is about recycling and reusing. “There’s so much out in the world that is not good for the environment,” Lauren says. “Right now, we’re trying to make sure that what we produce is as good for the environment as possible, or at least helps clean up another problem. Are we creating a new problem? I think we’re creating solutions, or at least trying to find solutions.”
(This combination of photos released by Ralph Lauren shows Polo shirts made from plastic bottles. Ralph Lauren via AP)
