In recent years, recycled polyester has been celebrated as the ultimate eco friendly activewear solution. Made from crushed water bottles and ocean plastic, it sounds like an environmental win. But behind the clever marketing lies a dangerous truth: recycled plastic activewear is often more toxic to your body than new plastic.

Plastic drink bottles (made from PET) were never designed to be melted down, spun into thread, and worn against hot, sweating human skin.

Worse Quality, More Shedding

Recent 2025 research shows that recycled polyester can shed up to 55% more microplastics than new polyester.

Re melting and processing plastic ocean bottles weakens the plastic at a structural level. The resulting recycled fibers are thinner, shorter, and far more brittle than new plastic. Because these fibers are naturally weaker, they break off much faster during movement and washing.

"At the end of the day, recycled polyester is still plastic."

At the end of the day, recycled polyester is still plastic. Because the weakened fibers break easily, they shed at a significantly higher rate:

• Shedding Into Your Body: Weak micro fibers break off against warm, open pores during high heat workouts. Research proves these recycled particles are 20% smaller, making them far easier to penetrate human tissue.

• Shedding Into Your Home: Brittle fibers break loose in your laundry, air, and living spaces as toxic micro dust.

• Shedding Into The Environment: Up to 900,000 synthetic micro particles wash into waterways every single time you do laundry.

Concentrated Chemical Additives

Extreme heat used in the recycling process breaks down the plastic and concentrates harmful chemical additives, including heavy metals, bisphenols, and flame retardants. When you sweat in recycled plastic leggings, heat and friction allow these concentrated additives to leach directly onto your skin.

True sustainability and health cannot be achieved by recycling plastic waste into clothing. LIBRAÉ bypasses plastic altogether, crafting high performance activewear from closed loop botanical fibers that nourish both human physiology and the planet.

Experience Clean Activewear

Engineered from botanical TENCEL™ and certified OEKO-TEX® Class 1 for absolute peace of mind.