How can we recycle used PET bottles?

From the old bottle to high-quality cycling clothing by Acelera. Recycling old PET bottles is an important part of the production process of our cycling clothing. Below, we explain in 6 steps how we turn an old bottle into high-quality cycling apparel.

1. Recycling old PET bottles

The first step in making our cycling clothing is recycling old PET bottles. By reusing waste material, we don't have to rely on new natural resources like petroleum.

2. Shredding and Cleaning

Before we turn old bottles into new clothing, we shred the bottles. These shreds are then thoroughly cleaned, leaving only pure material.

3. Making Granules

Once the shreds are completely cleaned, they are melted into polyester granules. These pellets are now made of pure polyester and are just as strong as polyester derived from petroleum.

4. Spinning the Yarn

From this step, the process is identical to making "normal" cycling clothing. The polyester granules are spun into strong yarn. These yarns form the basis for our clothing.

5. Weaving the Fabrics

The recycled yarn can now be used to weave fabrics. Our clothing consists of 98% recycled polyester and 2% elastane. These two percent are needed to make the clothing supple and stretchy, which in turn increases the lifespan of our products.

6. Manufacturing

Large pieces of fabric are cut into panels, which are then hand-sewn. Our production facility is located in Northern Italy. By keeping production close to home, we also reduce transport emissions.