A new biodegradable polyester fibre made from 100% recycled PET bottles and billed as the first tested and proven fibre to accelerate degradation in an oxygen-deficient environment, has been unveiled by the Poole Company, based in Greenville, South Carolina. 

EcoSure BioBlast is a variant of Poole's EcoSure post-consumer recycled PET fibres that, employed in nonwoven disposable wipes constructions, is designed to breakdown under anaerobic conditions in landfill. 

In oxygen-deficient laboratory conditions, third-party testing reportedly found that EcoSure BioBlast fibres biodegrade at least 12 times faster over a year, compared to traditional polyester-based fibres. 

Results showed the EcoSure BioBlast nonwoven had 72.5% biodegradation after one year of testing, a polyethylene sample had 5.2% biodegradation, a polyester nonwoven had 6% biodegradation, whilst a wood/paper cellulosic sample ha 75.7% biodegradation.

As reported previously by Sustainable Nonwovens, in 2012 Poole Company, manufacturer and distributor of recycled and virgin polyester for nonwovens and textiles, launched a Full-Circle programme for its EcoSure PET.

The company accepts and recycles items manufactured with its EcoSure fibre, repurposing the material again and extending its lifecycle.

EcoSure is produced using 100 per cent post-consumer recycled PET content, as certified under the SCS Recycled Content Certification Programme.

“Recycling only goes so far," said company president Bynum Poole. "Consumers have no choice but to throw away single-use counter wipes and diapers because they are not proper recycling facilities or processes to repurpose a used or soiled wipe.”

Web: www.poolecompany.com