Like normal polyester, recycled polyester is a man-made fabric produced from synthetic fibers. However, instead of utilizing raw materials to craft the fabric, recycled polyester is made of existing polyester plastic such as used water bottles, which are then processed transformed into polyester fiber.
Polyester is a general term for any fabric or textile that is made using polyester yarns or fibers. The name is a shortened from of polyethylene terephthalate (often called PET) that is made by mixing ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid together.
Recycled polyester fabric is made by breaking down used polyester plastic into small chips that are processed and turned into yarn. There is no difference between polyester fabric made from crude oil and that which is made from recycled plastic. Recycling single-use plastics into fabric like this decreases greenhouse gas emissions compared to producing virgin polyester and water usage is also significantly decreased during production.