“As fashion changes so quickly, consumers tend to want to buy instantaneously and then, when fashion changes again, they want to dispose of it,” Kris Barber, founder and CEO of DGrade, a sustainable brand in the UAE that produces clothing from recycled plastic bottles, told Arab News.
Kris Barber, Director at DGRADE that produces sustainable clothing using Greenspun yarn made from recycled plastic bottles, has also been a vocal advocate of the importance to go green. The UAE’s first bottle-to-yarn manufacturing company focused on making clothes out of plastic, initiated the ‘Simply Bottles’ campaign offering organisations a platform to collect plastic bottles and convert them into t-shirts, trousers, shorts, jackets, towels and caps.
A company in the UAE has been using environmentally-friendly technology to transform used plastic water bottles into sustainable clothing.
Coral Dubai Deira Hotel, managed by Hospitality Management Holding (HMH), has entered its second year of innovative collaboration with DGrade, converting its PET waste into high-quality yarn for textiles.
The statement sits at odds with the fact that DGrade recycles enormous amounts of PET 1 plastic – a clear plastic most commonly used for water bottles – at its recycling factory located in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).
“We see ourselves as a textile company; we are repurposing the polyester in the PET,” says Emma who adds how DGrade, which was established by her husband and CEO, Kris Barber, is known for recycling plastic into sustainable clothing.
With a conventional manufacturing background, Emma and Kris decided in 2010, when Kris first arrived in the UAE, that he would switch to become completely sustainable. “This was for a number of reasons, partly because of the amount of plastic pollution in the region and also Kris saw that the future was going to be a lot more sustainable; he’s always been very entrepreneurial and saw that opportunity.”
The 4,000 square metre facility will process up to one billion plastic bottles a year, which according to Emma is 25 per cent of the total production of plastic bottles in the UAE. “About 80 per cent of the plastic flakes will go back into making packaging and 20 per cent of the flakes will go back into the making of textiles, both of which are exported around the world.”
To create Greenspun™, the trade name of the yarn used to create textiles, the washed flakes are then heated and extruded into fibre and spun into recycled 100 per cent polyester yarn to create eco-friendly products. Greenspun® yarn can then be woven or knitted in the same way as conventional polyester yarn to produce more than 200 types of fabric, including manufacturing the uniforms for the staff at Yas Marina Circuit.
Collecting plastic bottles for recycling purposes is not as easy it sounds, considering the amounts of bottles one sees, but to help do this, DGrade set up an initiative entitled Simple Bottles. “We work with business and schools to try increase segregation and collection rates.”
Emma shares how there is a lot of cynicism and a lack of education about recycling. “People don’t really believe that it is worth putting a bottle in the right bin because they don’t believe that it is going to be recycled. And people don’t know much about the facts about plastic and that it is actually a green packaging option.”
To educate and create awareness, DGrade set up in 2017 the Simple Bottles Schools Programme, which, at the time, involved 20 schools. “The programme is completely free and the largest outreach programme of its kind in the Middle East; we have won loads of awards for it.”
Today, there are more than 200 schools involved, with around 350,000 school children involved. “We have full time staff who go into the schools and run competitions, challenges, work with the green teams, and even have an eco-ambassador in every school.”
The Simply Bottles Recycling for Schools Programme educates, engages and equips children to recycle plastic water bottles which can be processed into uniforms, PE kits and accessories. By participating in this initiative, schools will help children better understand the impact of plastic pollution and the benefits of recycling.”
We want to get the children really behind the recycling; the way to do that is to incentivise them so the competitions are a really important way to get the children to think about the different things they can do to recycle plastic into different products.
“Each term there is also a different recycling challenge and this really helps to create awareness and action well into the future.”
For more information contact [email protected]
DGrade, the UAE company known for recycling plastic into sustainable clothing, has announced the opening of a 4,000 square meter recycling factory in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). The facility will process up to 1 billion plastic bottles a year into recycled plastic flake for the company’s Greenspun™ yarn, and to provide material for local packaging manufacturers.
Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) has launched an initiative encouraging passengers to obtain free trips on public buses by gaining points each time they hand in empty plastic bottles.
DGrade, the UAE company known for recycling plastic into sustainable clothing, has announced the opening of a 4,000 square meter recycling factory in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). The facility will process up to 1 billion plastic bottles a year into recycled plastic flake for the company’s Greenspun™ yarn, and to provide material for local packaging manufacturers.
Commuters can earn points for bottles, which will lead to discount in fares
DGrade, the UAE company known for recycling plastic into sustainable clothing, has announced the opening of a 4,000 square meter recycling factory in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). The facility will process up to 1 billion plastic bottles a year into recycled plastic flake for the company’s Greenspun™ yarn, and to provide material for local packaging manufacturers.
The partnership will see Spinneys introduce a reverse vending machine at its sustainable concept store to encourage customers to recycle plastic waste
DGrade, the UAE company known for recycling plastic into sustainable clothing, has announced the opening of a 4,000 square meter recycling factory in KIZAD. The facility will process up to 1 billion plastic bottles a year into recycled plastic flake for the company’s Greenspun™ yarn, and to provide material for local packaging manufacturers.
A Dubai-based firm is making clothing out of recycled plastic bottles, using a new "greenspun yarn" technology, to replace polyester yarn.
A Dubai company is helping to repurpose up to 60 million discarded plastic bottles a month by turning them into clothes.
Manufacturing fashion items with a sustainable twist, the team at DGrade said the more items they make, the less plastic waste that ends up in landfill.
From T-shirts to jackets and caps to face masks, the high-quality yarn made from recycled plastic bottles replaces traditional polyester yarn.
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship owners Flash Entertainment has entered into a partnership with DGrade, a UAE-based leader in sustainable clothing products, in which DGrade will collect single use plastic at the championship.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship owners Flash Entertainment has entered into a partnership with DGrade, a UAE-based leader in sustainable clothing products, in which DGrade will collect single use plastic at the championship.
Alexander van 't Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai, said, "For the second year in a row, we are pleased to support the Dubai Run, keeping with our goal of making fitness an active part of the Emirati society's culture. This is part of our commitment to the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which was launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Throughout the event, we will provide water at various fitness sites, and in order to properly manage waste, we will collect used bottles for recycling in collaboration with DGrade. Through this participation, Mai Dubai supports Dubai’s goal of becoming one of the most active cities in the world."
Mai Dubai announced it is stepping up its support to DGrade's ‘Simply Bottles’ programme through sponsorship of Simply Bottles School Recycling Challenge for the school year 2021-2022. The company has been an active partner of DGrade, a manufacturer of eco-friendly clothing, for the past two years, to help raise awareness on the importance of recycling plastic water bottles through engaging with teachers, students and parents across schools in Dubai.
Discussing sustainability and recycling with Simply Bottles.
Leading bottled water renews support to Simply Bottles recycling initiative for two consecutive years
The H Dubai received The Green Key Certification for 2021 by the Emirates Green Building Council. The hotel has implemented the use of green cards and green stickers in the room to conserve energy and water. The property has also introduced Super Green Vouchers through which guests can choose not to have their room cleaned for the day. In return, they receive a voucher which can be redeemed at the hotel or donated for a charitable cause. The H Dubai has recently partnered with DGrade, a sustainable manufacturing company based in Dubai that recycles used plastic water bottles turning it into high-quality clothing and accessories. All polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles consumed at The H Dubai are directly given to DGrade to be recycled.
We are proud to present the winners of the Gulf Sustainability Awards 2021. DGrade wins Gold for Best Sustainability Education or Awareness Programme
Dubai Science Park, the region’s first science-focused business district, has seen the number of startups and SMEs in its community reach 40 per cent as an entrepreneurship drive strengthens the UAE’s position as an innovation hub....
Meeting the recycling pioneers: Top 100 - and DGrade's on the list!
Closing the loop by recycling plastic into uniforms with Yas Marina Circuit and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix...read the article on page 28
France-based polymers trading company Emeraude recently invested in UAE-based recycled fabric manufacturer DGrade to facilitate its expansion into the recycled polymers market.
France-headquartered global polymers distributor Emeraude’s newly-created division for recycling will aim to tap in to the local markets of emerging economies, where the industry’s implementation is lagging, according to the recently-appointed managing director of Emeraude Green.
Benoit de Chanaleilles is the first head of Emeraude Green and said that recycling investments in emerging markets needs to grow in the coming years, and Emeraude will aim to build develop its technology at the local level to potentially export the products to global markets in the future.
De Chanaleilles cited the recent deal signed with UAE-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle recycler DGrade as an example of the growing local interest in the recycling market.
This partnership will help address the global plastics waste problem
DGrade was established by Kris Barber in 2010 to address the vast amount of plastic water bottles being produced in the UAE. The company converts ...
DGrade announced as a finalist for the Gulf Sustaibility Awards Best Sustainability Education or Awareness Programme...
Star International School Mirdif recently took part in the “Simply Bottles” plastic bottle recycling campaign, where ten different schools participated and helped in recycling over 150,000 bottles within just six weeks. The school was particularly proud to be ranked the third position in the recycling competition which further reinforced its commitment to instill the values of environment sustainability within children from a young age.
Over the last decade Yas Marina Circuit has implemented a number of initiatives to improve the sustainability of its venue and events. In 2019 Yas Marina Circuit began working with DGrade to find a sustainable solution for plastic water bottles and cups used during the Formula 1 event. The key goal was to maximize the recovery of PET plastic and close the loop by recycling the plastic into staff uniforms.
DGrade worked with Yas Marina Circuit to identify the most efficient strategy for the collections including placement of bins, recycling display, training facilities management teams, and logistics. DGrade managed the full recovery process and audited the plastic collected.
Imagine recycling thousands of plastic bottles and producing clothes out of it.
Dubai-based DGrade recycles plastic bottles into high-quality sustainable clothing by way of its Greenspun technology
With its state-of-the-art infrastructure, environment-friendly laboratories, and a solar-powered community park with green spaces nearing completion, Dubai Science Park is a district focused on healthcare, energy and the environment.
Its Greenspun technology uses a process whereby plastic bottles are washed, shredded, melted into fibre and then spun into its trademarked Greenspun yarn
Dubai firm turns plastic bottles into T-shirts and face masks
Mai Dubai announced that it has partnered with DGrade to support its ‘Simply Bottles’ recycling initiative for schools. The initiative has been designed to educate, engage and empower children to contribute to sustainability by increasing recovery and recycling rates of plastic bottles in the UAE.
I moved to the Middle East 10 years ago to take a position as a Director for leading retail fashion brands including Reiss, Lipsy, Koton and New Look. I do love the fashion industry, but the more I learned about the environmental impact of the industry the more I wanted move to a position where I could do something about it. Over consumption and many of the current manufacturing methods are unsustainable.
DGrade has announced the launch of the new Greenspun® Face Mask made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The Dubai based company known for recycling plastic bottles into clothing and accessories developed the reusable fabric face mask to help reduce PPE waste and divert plastic from landfill.
There is no doubt that consumers are becoming more aware about sustainability and recycling, and the good news is that brands are responding with an increasing number of products that tick those boxes.
Each UAE resident throws away some 450 plastic bottles per year, according to waste management industry estimates. A simple calculation based on the most recent data (2011) puts the country’s aggregate annual waste at 4.3 billion bottles, with only a fraction of those recycled. The rest goes to landfills, where it takes anywhere from 450 to 1,000 years to decompose. UAE-based DGrade is doing its bit for the environment by turning discarded plastic bottles into activewear, caps, bags and even reusable coffee cups.
DGrade announces its first collection of Official Expo 2020 Dubai apparel and headwear made from recycled plastic bottles is now available to purchase. Featuring the logo of what will be the largest event ever to be staged in the Arab world, all products are made from plastic water bottles, thus preventing the plastic from going to landfill.
Sustainable fashion is possible. It only has to start with being conscious of waste segregation, more of the walk-the-talk on collaborative efforts between and among individuals, and political will.
The UAE has one of the highest consumption rates of bottled water in the world, standing at 450 billion bottles per year. That’s a lot in comparison to the world where people are moving to reusable bottles and cups.
DUBAI: A growing number of UAE companies are integrating sustainable innovation into their business models and reaping the benefits as they enhance their competitiveness, industry experts explained during the Dubai Dialogue 2019 which took place in the emirate earlier today.
A Dubai concert is promising to Rock the World but not the planet. Still, the show is being powered by a controversial fuel that some say isn’t so green.
ABU DHABI, 18th September 2019 (WAM) - Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi General Services Company, Musanada, and the Abu Dhabi Center for Waste Management, Tadweer, concerning a cooperative mechanism to achieve vocational and operational rehabilitation of people of determination within the National Empowerment Policy.
When it comes to rock concerts, we’re always onboard. And knowing that it isn’t harming the environment in any way only makes us want to rock out even harder.
Dubai is set to host the first fully sustainable rock concert. We'll speak to
the man behind it. Karl Feilder is the Chairman & CEO of The Neutral Group.
As the United Arab Emirates grapples with growing plastic pollution from its rapidly-rising population, two local companies say they can help tackle the crisis.....Another local company, DGrade, is the first in the region to manufacture clothing from recycled plastic. DGrade shreds discarded plastic bottles and turns them into yarn to make high-quality polyester fabrics or blends.
A central mission of Expo 2020 is the stimulation of innovation and entrepreneurship capable of driving economic diversification and sustainable development. The encouragement of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) has consequently emerged as a natural evolution of the exposition’s tenets.....One example is DGrade....
Yas, plastic can be made into T-shirts. Who knew?!
Regardless of whether you may or may not have heard of clothing manufacturer DGrade, you will be surprised by the things they do.
I love plastic. Don’t hate me for that. And here’s my second confession: I’ve just got myself a “quick dri” t-shirt that’s made of 10 recycled PET (plastic) bottles, a cap for my son made from six recycled bottles and a cloth bag that was made out of anything between 10 to 40 recycled plastic water bottles. Did I hear you say plastic is bad for our oceans and deserts? That we should stop using it completely? Contrary to popular belief, plastic has a low carbon foot print, it is safe and hygienic and it is meant to be recycled, and not dumped. And that’s why we need to stop trashing it around and instead, recycle and reuse it in the form of garments and accessories, just like I did.
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