Sustainable Nylon: The Ultimate Guide | Selfless Clothes

The early 20th century was a period marked by rapid innovation in man-made fibers which revolutionized the textile industry forever. Inspired by the massive success of viscose (a.k.a "artificial silk"), the chemical industry saw an opportunity to engineer fabrics with unmatched qualities. It was at that time when Dupont® began researching novel materials to replace silk in women's hosiery and stocking.

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After a decade of scientific work, in , Nylon was brought to the US market for the first time ever. And the timing couldn't be better! The rising popularity of dresses and skirts had already made hosiery an essential part of every woman's wardrobe. The new fabric quickly became hot, causing "nylon riots" with s of women queueing up to get a hold of the limited stocking supply.

And who would have thought that only a few years later, the unique properties of Nylon will play a role in the outcome of World War II? The fabric was used in the military to make reliable combat equipment such as parachutes, tents, ropes, flak jackets, tire cords, etc. which helped the Allies win the war.

Interestingly, the research leading to the discovery of Nylon was historical for another class of materials, namely, Polyester. In fact, polyester was discovered first, but it had to stay in the lab till because the first versions were melting at a low temperature which caused problems with laundering and ironing.

What is Nylon?

Nylon is a synthetic polymer from the polyamide group. It is a stretchy and durable plastic fiber that has found commercial applications in multiple industries. It accounts for around 5% of the volume used in the textile industry.

In clothing and footwear, it is commonly used to make hosiery, lingerie, sportswear, and outdoor equipment. It can be found in stockings, leggings, yoga pants, swimsuits, ski clothes, windbreakers and waterproof jackets, backpacks, athletic shoes, socks, etc. Due to its durable and stretchy nature, Nylon is often blended with other materials to give fabrics extra reinforcement.

Nylon is made of petrochemicals derived from coal and crude oil. Benzene (C6H6) is the elementary hydrocarbon typically used to synthesize the carbon-based molecules of Nylon. It is an energy-intensive process in which monomers enter in reaction to form long amide chains, e.g. a polyamide. The polymer is then heated and melt-extruded through a metal spinneret resulting in long fibers. They are stretched to increase strength and elasticity and finally spun into yarn for garment and other textile production.

Is Nylon Sustainable?

Manufacturing of virgin Nylon is NOT sustainable over the long term and yet recycling is extremely rare. Similar to other plastics, it is made of non-renewable resources which we have been rapidly depleting over the last few decades. Moreover, petrochemical processing releases carbon dioxide and methane emissions that accelerate global warming.

Nylon-making is a very energy-intensive process that requires a lot of heat. In fact, it requires x2 more energy than polyester. Given that fossil fuels are the primary energy source of oil refineries, it means that even more non-renewable resources are used, hence more CO₂-eq goes into the atmosphere.

In addition, the thermal processes that take place in factories require a significant amount of water for cooling. While Nylon doesn't have the same water scarcity and pollution potential as some plant and animal fibers such as cotton and wool, it can still present a threat to the local ecosystems if the water is not effectively recycled.

Probably the biggest challenges for us when it comes to plastic fibers lie in the consumer phase and product end-of-life. Nylon fabrics shed microfibers, tiny plastics, that leave our houses in the laundry process. Too small to be caught in water treatment, through the sewage system they end up in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. In fact, Nylon accounts for approximately 10% of the waste dumped into the ocean.

Just like other plastics, Nylon has a high waste potential. Microbes can't break it down, e.g. it's NOT biodegradable, so it takes hundreds to thousands of years to decompose. Nylon won't rot as natural materials do, it will slowly break down into smaller and smaller pieces due to sunlight, oxidation, and friction. Until it eventually turns into microplastics, which are much harder to handle. Once Nylon goes to a landfill, or worse gets dumped into the environment, it'll be hanging there long after we are gone.

Nylon has a very low rate of recycling. It is even harder and more expensive than the polyester process. On top of that, garment-to-garment recycling is still not practical, meaning we are far from achieving circularity anytime soon. It is pity given that we have no other way to deal with synthetic fibers. For what is worse, virgin plastics are so cheap that there's no incentive for companies to invest in regenerated materials.