Plastic and our Oceans just don’t mix. We have always known this but we have seamlessly allowed our plastic waste to work its way into the ocean without a care until now that is. The world is uniting and beginning to tackle the problem of plastic and out oceans head on. We are starting to see just how much of an impact it is having on our ocean and the many species that live permanently in the ocean and those that spend part of their lives in the water and out of it
We are coming across dead fish and sea animals that have ingested plastic and killed them and we are finding fish and sea animals dead from getting tangled up in plastic. Essentially, it is not good enough and up to this point we have not done enough but now things are changing, especially at Joseph & Alexander.
We want to do our bit
After seeing the effect that plastic has on the ocean and our passion for the ocean, we felt that it was only right or use to try and make a difference. We already know how plastic can be recycled but to use recycled plastic to make our shorts changes everything because it helps us to clear the oceans and provide shorts that look great.
The process
Every pair of shorts we make is made using recycled fabric that derives from plastic that is found in our oceans. Those horrid water bottles that can either spend decades floating on the ocean or found at the bottom of the ocean can be recycled into a fabric. After collecting plastic bottles, all labels and lids are removed. That then leaves us with a basic plastic bottle that is then crushed and chopped into flakes. After this process, the flakes are then subjected to high temperatures where they are melted into pellets. The pellets are then put through their own melting process before being extruded to make the fibre. This fibre is then stretched and baled before being processed into the fabric that we use to make our shorts.
This is a serious problem and you can help
We are worried about the environment and the effect that plastic will have on it for decades or even centuries. However, our shorts are making a difference and we hope that over time, our sales will continue to grow, helping us to remove even more from the oceans.
