Ecoguard™ is a new line of thermal base layers that make an effort to protect the environment. Ecoguard™ utilizes recycled polyester, made from recycled materials such as discarded plastic drink bottles, in each garment to help limit the impact on the environment.
Whatever ones opinion on the use of recycled polyester may be, the fact remains that U.S. households will discard more than 50,000,000,000 plastic drink bottles a year!!!!! That is 50 billion. Every bit that we can recycle will lessen the impact on our landfills and on the new use of petroleum. These bottles and other plastic materials are already made, so we feel that finding a second more productive use is important. By using recycled materials to create polyester, we lessen the impact on our landfills and our environment. Furthermore, using this existing resource will decrease our dependency on international oil supplies. Thus helping us use our limited oil supply on more important products.
Why use polyester at all?
Polyester provides the best features for today's garments designed for an active lifestyle. Features like better wicking, moisture transfer, quick drying fibers and better durability. Once again, these plastic resources have already been and will continue to be produced. Therefore, finding a continuing use for these materials is an important and intelligent use of our limited resources.
Why not natural fibers like cotton or wool?
Ecologically speaking, cotton, although a natural fiber, uses large amounts of water for irrigation. These crops occupy land that could be used for important food sources. In addition, this land could be used for sources of bio-fuel that would help further limit our impact on the environment and need for petroleum. Non organic cotton utilizes chemical fertilizers to maximize crop yield and to eliminate pests. Organic Cotton uses even more land and precious water to produce the same quantities of product as that of non organic cotton.
Wool, meanwhile, is a material that requires large amounts of water to clean and produce. Wool requires large herds that produce waste than can foul water supplies.
Last of all, these "natural" products require the use of petrochemicals throughout their production and supply chains. Unfortunately, this use of petroleum products renders cotton and wool less "organic" than they would at first appear.
Continuing the search for eco-friendly alternatives.
Ecoguard™ is also searching for more eco-friendly ways of providing materials and technical features for our apparel. For example, we are searching for non-chemical ways of adding antibacterial protection to our products. We currently use Silverguard which uses the most effective antibacterial in the world, silver. Additionally, we use Bamboo Charcoal to provide antibacterial and odor control in some of our products.
Form Fitting
Loose Fit
