Is Polyester Vegan? (What Is Polyester Made of)
A lot of people care about the fabrics they wear. They go to great strides and expense to make sure they are wearing the correct fabric that fits their lifestyle. They also want to make sure their clothing is made from cruelty-free processes.
Is polyester vegan? Yes, polyester is considered to be vegan. It is a form of plastic and no cruelty to animals was done in its creation. Polyester is made from petroleum products and the only harm it does is in the potential damage to the environment and the landfills.
To learn more about the vegan properties of polyester just continue to read our article. it has the information you want to know about. For some people, polyester is the perfect fabric as it fits their beliefs and lifestyles.
Is Polyester Vegan Friendly?
Yes, polyester is vegan friendly. In fact, it is listed on a variety of other websites, besides this one, as a vegan material that will fit in well with that lifestyle. The processing is all man-made, does not come from animals and it is designed to be good looking as well as durable.
Also, polyester does not come from plants. That means no life form was harmed in creating this fabric. That means a vegan can wear polyester, in its variety of formats, without feeling guilty or that they compromised their personal beliefs and preferences.
You will find that other man-made fabrics are also very vegan friendly as they are made from the same petrochemicals that polyester is made from. That means that vegans will not run out of clothing options when they decide not to wear any fabric made from animal or plant life. (check our complete vegan fabrics list)
Is Polyester Cruelty-Free?
There is no other possible answer but yes, polyester is cruelty-free. Since plants and animals are not involved in the creation of this fabric, there is no cruelty associated with it. The animal world is also not used to test this product so everyone, not just vegans, can wear or use this material without feeling bad.
Polyester was made in a lab first using chemistry not biology and then once perfected it was moved to the many polyester-making businesses around the world. In all that time, not one animal was harmed nor was a plant uprooted to make this material.
Polyester is going to be about the closest fabric there is to meet Hippocrates oath ‘do no harm’. While the fabric is not a medical doctor the oath still applies. It does not do harm to animals or plants during its production.
Is Polyester Made From Plants?
No, polyester is not made from plants. If you are a plant lover, you can rest your mind that plants, like animals, are the furthest thing from the ingredients used to create this material. Even though there is a chemical found in certain plant parts used in helping to make some polyester.
it is not made from plants.
Those chemicals, for example, cutin, are usually found in plant cuticles but generally, almost all polyester is made from synthetic fibers created through processing petroleum.
The cutin chemical is biodegradable as are a few other synthetic ingredients but generally, polyester takes up to 200 years to fully disintegrate when tossed into the landfill.
The other thing you have to watch out for when wearing polyester clothing is that it is not fire-resistant. It will melt first, causing more injuries than natural fibers, and then it will burn. it is not the best material to wear when having a fire in your fireplace, backyard, or if you have a fire at the beach, on your next camping trip, and so on.
What is Polyester Made Of?
Most polyester materials are made from pure petroleum products and harmful chemicals. The most popular or most widely used polyester option is Polyethylene terephthalate (PT), and it is made from “purified terephthalic acid (PTA) or its dimethyl ester dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and monoethylene glycol (MEG).”
There are reasons for the use of these chemicals and one of those reasons is that PT contains the lowest amount of toxic material of all the polyesters available today. That does not mean it is toxin-free, it just means it has the lowest levels.
Another reason those chemicals are used is that they are very easy to get a hold of. During 2002 and 2008 production of this type of polyester went up 19 million tons from a low of 20 million tons per year to 39 million in 2008.
The good thing about wearing polyester materials is that it does have a high melting point so you have time to shed your clothes if a spark does land on it.
Is Polyester Eco Friendly?
In a word, no. Polyester isn't eco friendly. While it may be cruelty-free, vegan friendly, and very pretty to wear, it is not a fabric that likes the environment. Not only are the chemicals used to create the material unfriendly to the environment, but the cloth itself also takes a long time to degrade and disappear.
Plus, it is made from petroleum products which also are not eco-friendly. This material is said to be the least sustainable and the least eco-friendly fabric made today. In fact, to make all the polyester fabric found in the world today about 70 billion barrels of oil are used each year.
The only saving grace polyester has when it comes to the environment is that it can be made from recycled plastic bottles. The more bottles that are recycled the better it is for the environment and the oceans.
Some Final Words
Vegans can wear polyester almost guilt-free. Unfortunately, there is no perfect fabric in the world and something is going to be harmed in its creation.
