Recycled materials in consumer products

The use of recycled content poses challenges. This article investigates the key issues faced and the possible future for this strategy.

Image © iStock.com/Monticello

The use of materials and components made entirely or partially from recycled content is a common approach adopted by many companies to reduce the environmental impacts of their products. Recycled materials eliminate waste and reduce the use of virgin raw materials. The volume of recycled materials used across all sectors is only likely to increase going forwards and a number of factors are driving this.

For example, ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ (EPR) schemes are increasingly being introduced for a wide range of products. France is particularly well advanced in this area, with schemes already established for packaging, footwear, clothing, household textiles, materials for construction and DIY and gardening products to name just a few. The European Union is also setting minimum levels of recycled content across a range of different product types, as well as packaging through legislation such as Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

This article will explore exactly what recycled materials are, how some are made, and how they can be used. Key considerations when using recycled materials, as well as the potential to develop products that are recyclable at the end of their life will also be highlighted.

What is a recycled material?

A recycled material is ‘a material that has been reprocessed from reclaimed material through a manufacturing process and made into a final product or a material or component for incorporation into another product’. BS EN ISO 14021:2016 outlines two categories of recycled materials:

materials made from pre-consumer waste when scrap or waste from a material manufacturing process is collected and used to manufacture a new material
materials made from post-consumer waste (which is generated by either households or businesses) is collected and thereafter used to manufacture a new material.

It is also important to understand what does not count as a ‘recycled’ material input. Rework, regrind or scrap created in a production process and reused within the same process does not meet the definition of ‘recycled.’ This would include, for instance, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sprue from the moulding process that is ground or cut up and put back into the same moulding process.

Methods for recycling materials

Mechanical recycling and chemical recycling are the two main methods used to convert waste materials into new materials. Table 1 provides a comparison of the two methods.

Table 1: Mechanical versus chemical recycling
	Mechanical recycling	Chemical recycling
Process overview	Waste material is shredded, melted and remoulded. No change to its chemical structure.	Plastic polymers are broken down into their constituent monomers.
Examples	Plastic bottles recycled into either new bottles or into polyester materials used in applications such as clothing and footwear.	Recycled nylon produced from inputs which may include discarded carpets and fishing nets.
Pros	Low energy use and cost-effective way to recycle materials.	Produces high-quality material inputs, equivalent to virgin materials.
Cons	The quality of the material can degrade over time as it is repeatedly recycled. Colour and texture can be inconsistent.	High energy use, limited scale and availability of the technology.

A third option for recycling materials is thermo-chemical recycling. This process converts materials into fuels or feedstocks and is therefore less likely to be directly relevant for the footwear industry as a source of raw materials.

Recycled materials used in consumer products

Most consumer products on the market today will be available in options that contain at some recycled content. One of most widely used recycled materials is recycled polyester.

Is turning PET bottles into textiles a good idea?

The use of polyester materials produced from waste plastic bottles has become commonplace and the material has many applications. Examples include clothing, packaging, upholstery, household textiles and as an insulation or filling material. In any application where textiles are used, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) has become a go-to ‘sustainable’ material. However, the process used to convert used bottles into textiles is technically ‘downcycling’, as the quality of the polymer degrades through the process.

It could be argued that it would be a better option to continue to recycle waste bottles into new bottles that can be recycled again. Polyester textiles produced from PET bottles are difficult to recycle, especially if the polyester has been blended with other fibres such as elastane. It has been estimated that globally less than 1 per cent of textile waste is recycled into new textiles.

Communicating and verifying recycled content

There is no legislation for consumer products that specifies how recycled content should be communicated to consumers, or how products should be labelled to inform consumers about recycled content. Nevertheless, legislation does exist targeting ‘green washing’ and environmental claims that may mislead consumers. Examples include the UK’s ‘Green Claims Code’ and the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EU) 2024/825 (ECGT). A claim such as ‘made from recycled materials’ will not be compliant with these regulations, so it would be more advisable to use wording such as ‘packaging contains 80% post-consumer recycled plastic’.

Although there is no legal requirement to verify that a material contains any recycled content, most companies will opt to conduct due diligence checks to ensure that they can back up any claims that they are making. The direction of travel of legislation also means that there will be more pressure for organisations to be able to substantiate and provide evidence for any claims that they make.

The most reliable option is likely to be supply chain verification, through a voluntary standard such as the schemes available through the Global Recycled Standard or the Forest Stewardship Council. These schemes will typically follow a chain of custody methodology to verify and track materials through the supply chain. This will involve a combination of document checks and, in certain cases, site visits and audits to answer the following questions:

How was the waste generated?
Is the waste percentage in line with industry norms?
What process is the waste going into (perhaps fibre production)?
How was the waste turned into a usable input?

As an alternative to the certified schemes, some companies may choose to use less onerous processes and will rely on such documents as supplier declarations and certificates of compliance.

A further option is to apply molecular tags or DNA tags to raw materials. The presence of the tags can then be verified as the material passes through the supply chain to confirm its origin. The tags could be used, for example, to track recycled polyester from pellets to fibre, to filament to finished product. This type of technology has not yet been widely adopted by the footwear or textile industries, potentially due to the complexity and cost of implementation.

There are also laboratory testing methods that claim to be able to confirm the presence of recycled content in a material. One test measures the concentration of isophthalic acid in a material. This is a compound typically added during the PET bottle manufacturing process, which in turn can be used as a ‘marker’ to identify recycled polyester made from PET bottles. Another option is to measure a polymer’s response to heating, as it is expected that this will change each time the material is recycled.

While these tests could be useful in validating the properties of certain materials, SATRA does not believe that they are infallible and would always recommend using the tests in conjunction with supply chain verification.

Challenges

As with any substance, recycled materials are not without their challenges, some of which are discussed in more detail below.

Firstly, a recycled material must be fit for purpose for its intended application. It will need to be tested to ensure it meets any necessary performance requirements and that it does not fail prematurely. Recycled materials must also comply with any relevant restricted substances legislation based on their intended application and the geographic locations into which they are ultimately being sold.

This legislation is constantly changing, and the onus will be on the material manufacturer to ensure that their products are compliant.

Recycled materials can sometimes have an obviously ‘recycled’ appearance, with variable and inconsistent colours or texture, which could be off putting for consumers. However, organisations can instead use these features as a selling point to highlight the item’s sustainable credentials.

When selecting recycled materials, organisations should assess the full environmental impact of the material across its entire supply chain, comparing it to the impact of the virgin materials it is replacing. A lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool for this purpose. Recycling processes, for instance, can be energy intensive. Additionally, any analysis that is conducted should consider the impacts of transporting the materials.

Another challenge could be the financial impact of using recycled materials. In many cases, these will cost more than the virgin materials they are replacing, and they may not be a viable economic option for companies who are working to tight margins.

Recycled content does not equal recyclable

An item produced from recycled inputs is not necessarily going to be recyclable in its own right. The potential to recycle a finished item will depend on the availability of suitable recycling processes and facilities, as well as how the item itself is produced. For instance, is it combined with other materials in such a way that it is difficult to disassemble into its constituent parts?

Going forward

As part of a transition to a circular economy model, it makes sense to increase the amount of recycled materials used across all consumer products.

However, at the time of writing this article in 2026, the textile recycling industry in Europe is facing significant challenges. Recycling facilities are struggling to make a profit, and in some cases are even going out of business.

It is likely that robust government support and targeted investment will be necessary to scale recycling technologies and infrastructure. Legislation that sets minimum levels for recycled content in certain products will then create demand for recycled materials, thus supporting recycling industries.

It also needs to be financially viable to use recycled materials. Initiatives such as reduced EPR fees and tax breaks for companies using recycled content can help to encourage the uptake by shoemakers of these materials.