08 Aug Sun Protective Clothing can Save Your Skin and Help Save the Planet
Look great and protect your skin with sun protective fabrics made from recycled materials
Thanks to advances in manufacturing techniques sun protective fabrics can now be made from recycled materials including plastic bottles. As a result, more manufacturers are creating fabrics from recycled plastic bottles-offering more options to consumers who are purchasing sun protective clothing and who are motivated to help the environment at the same time.
Summer is in full swing, and we’re spending more time in the sun. Whether we’re at the beach, the lake, the pool, on the boat, or just in the backyard, it seems like we’re always outdoors.
Now is the time to update your summer gear, you want to be comfortable, stay cool, protect your skin and you want to look good.
But can you do all this and help the environment?
The answer is yes! With continuing developments in the textile industry more fabrics are available for use in manufacturing UPF sun protective clothing.
In this article
- What is a UPF rating?
- Why it matters
- Things to keep in mind when purchasing sun protective clothing
- The plastic pollution problem
- Transforming waste plastics into fabrics
- Conclusion
What is a UPF Rating?
The rating used for sun protective clothing is UPF which stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. To receive a UPF rating, fabrics must be tested to standards established by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.
It is a rating system that is based on measuring how much ultraviolet radiation is blocked by a fabric.
The rating system works like this. A fabric with a UPF rating of 25 allows about 1/25th or 4% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays to penetrate it. In other words it blocks about 96% of harmful UV rays.
A fabric needs to have a minimum UPF rating of 30 to qualify for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. Fabrics receiving the seal of recommendation can be classified as either good or excellent based on the level of UPF achieved by testing. Read more here.
Look for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation on fabrics that meet their criteria for safe and effective sun protection.
The higher the UPF rating the better, it’s just that simple.
Why it matters
Years in the sun as a saltwater fisherman, diver, boater and beach comber have taken its toll on my skin. To avoid additional sun damage I have to protect myself.
The experts will tell you the best way to protect your skin from sun damage is not to go out in it. Well…that is not an option for me and if you are reading this, then it’s probably not an option for you either.
So you have to protect your skin, either with applied lotions or with sun protective clothing.
Sun exposure is a leading cause of premature ageing of the skin and can increase the risk of various skin cancers. Cumulative exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet rays adds up over time, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Things to keep in mind when purchasing sun protective clothing
- Look for a UPF rating on the garment.
- Darker fabrics generally have a higher UPF than lighter fabrics.
- A thin white T-shirt has an inherent UPF of about 7, which means about 20% of the harmful sun’s rays pass through it.
- Sun damage to skin is cumulative over your lifetime, continually adding to the risk of premature aging and skin cancer.
- Sunlight reflected off of water, sand, snow and other bright surfaces can greatly intensify the effects of UV rays.
- Sunlight is more intense at high altitudes. A study at NYU concluded that ultra-violet ray intensity increased at at a rate of eight to ten percent for each one-thousand feet in altitude increase.
- Choose long sleeves for shirts to protect your arms when practicable.
- Hats should have a minimum brim width of 3 inches.
The Plastic Pollution Problem
“Single use plastic is not so fantastic” sings ocean lover, surfer, and musician Jack Johnson.
Plastic bottles are a major threat to our oceans and rivers. It is estimated that 85% of water bottles produced globally are subsequently disposed of in landfills or as unregulated waste according to a report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. See the report here. The bulk of plastic pollution in our oceans and seas originates from inland waste, then is pushed downstream and ends up in the oceans and on our beaches.
The good news is that recent technology advances now allow fabric manufacturers to produce yarn from recycled plastic bottles.
Transforming waste plastics into fabrics
Here’s how the recycling process works
- Plastic bottles are collected, sorted, and cleaned.
- The cleaned bottles are chopped in small pieces.
- These pieces are melted and formed into small chips or flakes.
- The chips are melted and spun into thread.
- The thread is woven into fabric.
- The fabric is sewed into a wide variety sun protective garments.
From This
To This
As many as 22 bottles can be used in a single shirt. Considering how much sun protective clothing is sold every year it all adds up to a significant number of bottles that don’t end up in landfills or in our waters.
There are many brands that make and sell sun protective clothing. I have used and worn many of them, but the three listed below are at the top of my list.
Aftco-visit their site aftco.com/
Patagonia-visit their site patagonia.com/home
Vapor Apparel-visit their site vaporapparel.com/
Each of these companies are truly invested in utilizing recycled materials and are working to reduce their overall environmental impact. I have purchased and their products and can recommend them.
Conclusion
You owe it to yourself and your family to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.
Modern fabrics available today provide UPF protection and are manufactured using recycled materials to reduce the impact to the environment.
Engineered with breathable, light-weight, and moisture-wicking technologies that can help keep you cool and are available in multitudes of colors and fabric weights.
You will look great, protect your skin and feel good that you are helping the environment.
There are a number of companies that provide sun protective clothing in a wide variety of colors and graphics in addition to being ecologically friendly
