Recycled polyester rescuers saved the U.S. factory. Environmentalists hate it

In a bottle plant in Reidsville, North Carolina, the drift of plastic particles, like snow piles, accumulates in every corner of the machine that shatters the bottles into thin slices. When I asked our tour guide, floor manager, if he was worried about breathing, he said he didn’t. “We did a great job,” he said, adding that the vacuum-sucked dust bags were sold and the wastewater was filtered.

but I am Worried. A 2023 study of plastic recycling plants in the UK found that even after state-of-the-art filters were installed, about 6% of the treated plastics were released into wastewater because of the micro and nanoplastics, the air around the facility was filled with air of microplastics that were small enough to harm human health.

Scientists are still confused about what microplastics do for our health, but one study found that people with IBS tend to have more microplastics in their gut, including pets and polyamides (one of which nylon). While PET appears to be the most benign of all plastics, at least two studies have found BPA, a hormonal interference chemical, in polyester baby clothing, many brands agreed in 2023 with the presence of BPA in California lawmakers in polyester sneakers.

Additionally, the hydropower manager in Reedsville claims that in the Cape Fear Watershed, Unifi and other polyester manufacturers could be the source of 1,4-dioxane, a possible human carcinogen that provides drinking water to more than 1 million people as it flows from the center to Northeast North Carolina. Technically, this is not illegal (especially from Unifi and other industrial sources and several towns, successfully lobbying North Carolina rules that limit 1,4-dioxane in wastewater). Since 1,4-dioxane is a by-product of making pet resins, EPA announced in late 2024 that almost any exposure to 1,4-dioxane poses an unreasonable risk to the health of polyester workers and the surrounding communities. There are (very expensive) methods to treat 1,4-dioxane wastewater, so how subsequent regulations affect UNIFI remains to be seen, especially since the EPA does not seem to be keen on any regulation of toxic chemical exposure at the moment.

Both Ingle and Boyd declined to give a detailed introduction to these issues. They personally cited the advice of a Unifi lawyer (BPA), who said Unifi follows all regulations (1,4-dioxane) or PLED ignorance (microplastics). Boyd’s follow-up questions have not been answered. Ingle answered follow-up questions via email: “We maintain the active participation of the microfiber consortium to support research on the sources and impacts of fiber debris from textiles to the natural environment.” and “We comply with all local, state and federal regulations for all websites.”

For advocates, every microscan proves that there is no environmentally friendly polyester. “We can’t do this sustainably in a non-toxic way, and it’s actually impossible,” Page said.

But I left the storage and wondered if we made perfect an enemy of good American jobs. Polyester will continue to meet demand, it will be made here using recycling sources, or be carried out abroad using fresh petrochemicals in a rough factory. Page said she didn’t want to “convene that company or those people because they might be the best people in the world, do their best.” She described a utopia for me, where she made non-toxic and natural clothing, and then composted and recycled here. It sounds pretty, impossible.

In February, Unifi announced that it would close its North Carolina polyester processing plant. It will ship some of its machinery to plants in Latin America and offer new job opportunities at the Yadkinsville and Reidsville plants and continue to use.

Now, no matter what.