Creation of clothing made from recycled PET bottles

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Good morning everybody! My name is Mathilde, I am French but with my family, we are living in the jungle of Quintana Roo for two years now. Before becoming a mother, I worked as a diving instructor and I was greatly impacted by the plastic problem in the oceans. When I had to quit this job to take care of my baby, I also realized the importance of supporting Mexican families, and mothers in particular, who have to choose between taking care of their children and financially supporting their families.

I spent a lot of time studying these topics and I learned some information that I would like to share with you:

- Did you know that the textile industry is the second industry most polluting in the world?

-The lycra that is used to make swimsuits, leggings and sports tops is made of polyester, which is basically .... Plastic!

- Many Mexican women face significant obstacles that prevent them from fully participating in the labor market. These include the burden of unpaid work (Mexican women dedicate 4 more hours a day to unpaid work than men); traditional gender roles; and the lack of policies for reconciling work and family life, especially the insufficient supply of childcare services and flexible work practices. (OECD, 2011)

That’s how I decided to create Marleon, a brand of clothes made from recycled PET and recycled cotton (our swimsuits are made of 82% recycled PET and our shirts are made of 50% recycled PET and 50% recycled cotton.)

The quality of the fabric is incredible and that’s an opportunity to give a new life to so many plastic bottles that would otherwise end up polluting our lands and oceans.

All the products are made by local seamstresses, most of them are moms who work at home so they don't have to choose between leaving their home and family and finding work.

From my point of view we can’t separate ecology from social justice. An ecological product has to be a local product made by the hands of people who chose to make this product and make it with love and care. Unfortunately, we are too used to consuming products made on the other side of the planet by people that big companies take advantage of. But together we can change everything.

Today I am asking for your help so that together we can make this project bigger. The recycled fabric that I use (made in Mexico) is more expensive than any non-recycled fabric and still cannot be bought by meters, so I have to buy it by roll and it is a significant expense. I don't want to abandon this project due to lack of resources because I am absolutely convinced of how necessary it is to change the textile industry and give jobs to the families of seamstresses in the Riviera Maya.

If you also find it important to support this project, you can help us with a donation and by sharing the Marlon Ecowear pages on facebook and instagram.

Thank you very much for having read this and thank you for your support !!