Tiny thread, big story.
The seam in your tee or sneaker looks small, but it carries weight for the planet.
Today, we put two common choices in the ring: EcoVerde™ Epic (recycled polyester thread) and virgin polyester (made from fresh oil).
Who wins on carbon? on waste? In the future?
Let’s play a friendly, honest showdown—kid words, real stakes.
Table of Contents
Round 1: Where the stuff comes from
Virgin polyester starts deep underground.
Oil gets pumped, shipped, cracked, spun into chips, then into thread.
Lots of steps. Lots of energy.
EcoVerde Epic begins with waste, like used bottles and process scrap.
We wash, chop, melt, and spin again.
Shorter story.
Less digging, more re-use.
Planet likes second chances.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 1 — Virgin 0.
Round 2: Carbon at the gate
Making new plastic from oil usually gives off more carbon than melting old plastic again.
Simple logic: new cooking vs. re-cooking.
Real numbers change by factory and power mix, but recycled feedstock often cuts cradle-to-gate CO₂ by a big chunk.
Think “a lot less,” not “a little.”
Virgin can’t beat that starting line.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 2 — Virgin 0.
Round 3: Water and energy
Virgin routes drink more water and burn more fuel across refining and polymer steps.
EcoVerde Epic uses less because the heavy lift (making polymer) already happened in the bottle’s first life.
Wash water still matters, yes.
But total sip tends to shrink.
Factories can push it further with closed-loop rinses and heat recovery.
Good habits make good math.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 3 — Virgin 0.
Round 4: Strength, speed, sew-ability
You might ask, “Does recycled break easily?”
Nope.
EcoVerde Epic is built to run like classic Epic—smooth filament core, balanced twist, clean finish.
It sews fast, holds tight, and keeps seams neat.
Virgin polyester is also strong and steady.
On the sewing floor, both can pass with smiles when the settings are right.
Score: Tie. EcoVerde Epic 4 — Virgin 1.
Round 5: Colour and consistency
Both threads dye bright and clean.
If you chase an exact brand shade, lab control matters more than where the polymer was born.
EcoVerde Epic can match the palette; Virgin can too.
One note: Dope-dyed or solution-dyed options can save even more water and give solid fade hold.
Pick the right route for the product.
Score: Tie again. EcoVerde Epic 5 — Virgin 2.
Round 6: End-of-life, the big finish
Recycling hates salad.
If your upper or garment is polyester, a polyester thread keeps the mono-material promise.
That means easier shredding, cleaner melt, and better second life.
EcoVerde Epic is rPET, same family.
Virgin polyester thread is also PET, same family too.
Both help mono designs; both beat mixed seams.
But EcoVerde adds the extra win of starting from waste.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 6 — Virgin 3.
Round 7: Waste on the floor
Switching to recycled sewing thread won’t fix a messy room, but it helps the story.
Pair EcoVerde Epic with right-size cones, pre-wound bobbins, and returnable spools to cut trim waste.
Virgin can use those tricks as well, sure.
Still, every meter of recycled used instead of new moves the needle.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 7 — Virgin 4.
Round 8: Price and payback
Recycled cones can cost a bit more per kilo sometimes.
But count the whole pie: greener copy on the PDP, fewer mixed-material headaches later, smoother ESG reports, happier audits, and often lighter returns when seams behave.
Many brands see the extra cents come back as dollars in sell-through and trust.
Virgin looks cheaper up front; total cost tells a different tale.
Score: EcoVerde Epic 8 — Virgin 4.
How to switch without drama (tiny playbook)
- Pick one hero style to test—leggings, a running tee, or a knit upper.
- Swap thread only to EcoVerde™ Epic; keep fabric and line unchanged first week.
- Settings: For needle size is 80–90 for light knits and 90–100 for wovens; start with a little less top tension and a stitch length of 3–3.5 mm for top-stitch.
- Run about 100 pieces, then do a pull, seam slippage, and wash-dry checks.
- Measure carbon: use supplier emission factor for rPET vs. your old EF for virgin.
- Lock spec if pass; scale next drop; tell the story small and true.
Design tips to squeeze more carbon out
- Go mono-material: polyester fabric + EcoVerde Epic thread + PET seam tape.
- Place release stitches so repair staff can open seams and extend life.
- Trim grams: thinner ticket thread where stress is low; save heavy counts for bar-tacks only.
- Use digital colour masters so you avoid extra dye rounds and courier flights.
FAQ, kid-style
Q: Will the seam last?
A: Yes, when you set tension/needle right, EcoVerde Epic holds like classic Epic.
Q: Will it look different?
A: No, the beauty lives in the meter, not the brag. Same shine, same tidy line.
Q: Can I recycle the product later?
A: If the rest is PET too, you just made life easier for the recycler. Good job.
Q: Is carbon saved for sure?
A: Usually, yes—because you skip new oil steps. Exact numbers depend on factory power and logistics, so measure, don’t guess.
The scoreboard, simple
- Raw-material impact: EcoVerde Epic wins
- Carbon at gate: EcoVerde Epic wins
- Sew performance: Draw
- Colour control: Draw
- End-of-life fit: Both help mono; recycled starts cleaner
- Cost over lifecycle: EcoVerde Epic often wins
Wrap like a neat back-tack
Threads are small, but they pull big levers.
Choosing EcoVerde™ Epic swaps “dig new” for “use again,” trims carbon early, and keeps your mono story honest at the end.
Virgin polyester is strong, yes, but the world asks for better math now.
Start with one style, prove it with numbers, then roll across your line.
Stitch by stitch, gram by gram, the footprint shrinks—and your product still looks sharp and runs long.
