How "Green" is Your Gear? The Environmental Impact of Nylon
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| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman - Continuing Education |
| Discipline(s): |
Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular Engineering Chemistry Design Environmental Engineering Green Design and Sustainable Engineering Materials Engineering |
| Learning Resource Type: | Community - Discussion Forum/Mailing List/Newsletter |
| Media Type: | WWW |
| Author(s): |
Geoffrey Skinner
Organization: Trail Center Department: The Trail Companion |
| Description: | Newsletter article from the Trail Center, "a non-profit volunteer organization formed in 1983 to provide and promote quality non-motorized trail opportunities for all people in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco counties. The Trail Center works with government agencies, outdoor enthusiasts and other interested parties to create and manage an interconnected network of trails for the four-county region". The article begins: "Go to your closet or your boxes of camping gear-and count how many items are made of nylon. In my own closet, I can spot two raincoats, rain pants, wind pants, shorts, pack covers, several backpacks, various stuff sacks, three sleeping bags...and that's just for starters. I own a lot of nylon and appreciate its lightness and versatility. I consider myself to be environmentally aware, yet the nylon that is used in most of my outdoor gear is one of the more environmentally damaging textiles to manufacture." |
| Rating: | No Rating |
| Related Resources | |
| Keywords: | nylon, sustainable products |
| Usage Tip | |
| Use of Resource: | Concluding paragraphs: "In the meantime, Patagonia is looking into other synthetics, including a polyester recycling program that repolymerizes PET plastics (such as pop bottles) and essentially recreates virgin polyester (current practice is limited to grinding up the plastic, which limits the use of the resulting fibers). Down the road, they may also be able to use biopolymers. If "green" nylon products do come available, we can choose and request these products to purchase when we shop for new gear. Initially, we will pay more for the privilege of more environmentally friendly gear, but as the outdoor community becomes aware of this option and manufactures see the demand, prices will fall. While shopping for a better world may have serious limitations as a path to improving the environment, I will probably continue to buy and use nylon in my outdoor activities, as well as in many other realms of my life. Choosing "green" nylon outdoor products is the one realm in which I could most easily make a small step toward reducing my contribution to nitrous oxide damage to the atmosphere." |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
| Interactivity Level: | Very Low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | 2000 |
| Platform/Format: | WWW |
| Cost: | Free |
| Download URL: | http://www.trailcenter.org/newsletter/2000/spring2000/spring2000... |
| Metadata: | IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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