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“Eco-friendly” has become one of the hottest topics in this generation and there are many industries and innovators who have shifted their focus from traditional manufacturing and product design to this new and different angle. Becoming eco-friendly starts from the very root of the products we use every day. Take fashion for example, iconic fashion brands, such as Prada and Gucci, are starting to rethink ways to become more socially responsible. Such companies, and many other companies, are starting to reduce the use of nylon and use some form of recycled nylon. Imagine the ocean filled with fish and other marine ecosystems. Now imagine huge knotted fishing nets, and dirty swimsuits floating in the water where all the marine animals live. This is what is currently happening to our oceans. One company swept in, took these nylon waste products, and found a way to recycle and reuse the materials. Econyl, dubbed as “Re-Nylon”, is a product made from discarded fishing nets, fabric scraps and other wastes. All of these waste products are recycled and reused. When Econyl was first launched in 2011, the recycled materials were used to make swimsuits. Now, the products using these recycled materials are endless.

How does it work?
To put it simply, Econyl, is recycled-nylon. What’s great about this material is that it greatly reduces CO2 emissions compared with traditional nylon. In the traditional process of creating nylon, it is derived from crude oil and goes through multiple heavy chemical processes. Each time new nylon material is created; a large amount of CO 2emission is produced. In the process of creating recycled-nylon material, the amount of times it has to go through the chemical process is drastically less than the traditional nylon. Because of the reduced chemical processes, CO 2 emission decreases. The process to create the recycled-nylon material is simply a recycling process where the nylon items, like soft bristle hair brushes, are broken down chemically to the core of the material, polymer. Once it’s broken down to polymers, it can be reassembled back for any use necessary. Because Econyl is broken down to the core unit of nylon, polymer, it can be shaped and molded into whatever is needed, just like nylon itself. The possibility of products the recycled nylon can be used for is endless and the best thing about this is that the material can be broken down and recreated repeatedly! In the long run, this will drastically reduce the amount of CO 2 emissions and help save our planet. How do fashion brands join in on the eco-friendly train? Designer brands are known for their logo and quality products. With designer brands comes counterfeits that look flawlessly the same. Although that is the case, a simple touch of the nylon material can help you determine if the quality of the product is real or a counterfeit. For this reason, brand designers refused to find alternative materials to replace the nylon product. That was until Econyl showed up. Even brand designer sapproved of Econyl because they said that it is a “direct substitute” rather than are placement product of a lower quality. Brand designers approving the use of recycled nylon material goes to show how much this matches up to the actual nylon material. Recycled nylon material performs just as well as conventional nylon material, but with the benefit of being eco-friendly.

How does the cost come into play?
To put it simply, recycled nylon materials have a higher cost than regular nylon. This is due to the fact that there is an extra step in the process. The process to break down the used-nylon materials and reforming it again adds cost to production. It is roughly between 15 - 20% more than the traditional nylon but with an added benefit of being eco-friendly. Econyl is one of the many recycled-nylon products made. Many other companies are recycling-nylon products to become more responsible. As mentioned before, manufacturing companies and product designs are shifting the way they look at product materials. Econyl has brought a new point of view to product designers and this is just the start of a bigger movement to help save our planet.