Craft · Materials · Recycled PET

Recycled PET yarn for outdoor rugs — UV-stable polyester spun from PET bottles

Petyarn is a spun polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles. We weave it as a flatweave rug for covered outdoor use — terrace, poolside, verandah — where cotton and wool fail under sun, rain and mildew. Our PET programme is GRS-certified chain-of-custody and sits inside the wider flatweave catalogue.

What PET yarn is

PET is polyethylene terephthalate — the plastic used in most bottled-water bottles. Post-consumer bottles are collected, sorted, washed, flaked, melted and extruded into a thread, then twisted (filament or staple spun) into yarn that handles like cotton on a loom. The result is a soft, strong, dye-receptive thread that weaves identically to natural-fibre yarns — but with a fundamentally different environmental profile and performance.

Why PET outdoors

UV stable — polyester chemistry resists fading in direct sun for years rather than months (cotton fades in weeks, wool bleaches)
Hydrophobic — doesn't absorb water; rain runs off and the rug dries in hours
Mildew resistant — nothing for mould to eat; wet rugs don't develop musty smell the way natural fibres do
Hand-washable — hose it down, hang it to dry
Insect-proof — moths, carpet beetles, silverfish all pass by it

Natural fibres don't deliver any of these outdoors. A wool rug on a sunny terrace will bleach, mould and eventually rot. A cotton rug soaks and distorts. Jute swells and collapses. PET is the only fibre we recommend for covered outdoor flatweave.

What PET outdoors is NOT suitable for

Fully exposed to direct heavy rain — covered patios and verandahs are fine; a rug sitting in a puddle for days will degrade regardless of fibre
Cold snow / ice freeze-thaw — any waterlogged rug that freezes repeatedly will stiffen and crack the weave over time
Tropical hard sun with no cover — even PET fades eventually under true equatorial exposure 24/7. Covered is the key specification.
Interior luxury programmes — PET feels distinctively synthetic underfoot. For interior premium, wool is the right fibre.

Certification: GRS chain-of-custody

Our PET yarn supply is GRS-certified — Global Recycled Standard. This verifies that the PET content is genuinely post-consumer recycled bottles (not virgin polyester labelled as recycled), and tracks the chain of custody from bottle collection through flake processing to spinning. GRS certificates are issued per shipment and shared with buyers on request.

Minimum recycled content on our standard range is 70%; higher-content runs (85%+) are available on specification. The GRS audit is renewed annually by the certification body.

Weaving PET on the flatweave loom

We weave PET as a straightforward kilim flatweave on the same vertical looms we use for cotton and wool. The weave structure is identical; only the yarn changes. This matters: PET from a machine-tufted carpet factory is a completely different product (latex-backed, continuous filament, resin-coated). Ours is hand-woven on the warp, no latex, fully reversible.

Specifications

Fibre: 100% recycled PET, GRS-certified
Recycled content: 70% minimum; 85%+ on specification
Construction: Hand-woven flatweave on vertical loom (no latex, no backing)
Weight (GSM): 900–1,400 g/m² depending on specification
Size tolerance: ±3% per piece
UV rating: UV-stable (class rating available with GRS certificate per batch)
Dry time (hose-washed): 4–6 hours in moderate sun
MOQ: 1 piece
Sampling: ~15 days from CAD approval
Bulk lead time: ~35 days from strike-off approval
Suitable for: Covered terrace, poolside, verandah, sheltered outdoor dining
Not for: Fully exposed year-round outdoor; hard-freeze winter rotation; interior luxury programmes

Our current PET catalogue

The outdoor PET section in the flatweave catalogue carries 18 pieces in the current edition, across natural, grey, navy, green and terracotta colourways. Custom sizes, shapes and colours quoted per enquiry at MOQ of 1 piece.

Care

Weekly — sweep or shake out; vacuum works but suction only (no rotating brush)
After rain or spills — pick up the rug by the short edge, let water drain, lay flat to dry; sun-dry is fine
Monthly — hose down with a garden hose, mild soap, soft brush; air-dry
Winter storage (if your terrace freezes) — roll dry, bag loosely, store flat in a dry cupboard
Don't — power-wash (too aggressive on weave structure), bleach, machine-wash

Recycled PET rug FAQ

Is a PET rug the same as a plastic outdoor rug from a garden store?

The fibre is the same chemistry, but the construction is completely different. Machine-tufted plastic outdoor rugs are latex-backed, continuous-filament, resin-coated carpets. Our PET rug is hand-woven flatweave with no latex, no backing — fully reversible, with the same craft construction as our kilim and dhurrie range.

Does it feel synthetic?

It is synthetic, and yes it feels distinct from wool or cotton underfoot. The hand is closer to a hemp or jute rug — slightly firmer, smoother surface, no plushness. That's the right feel for an outdoor rug; you wouldn't want wool softness outside.

How long does it last outdoors?

Covered outdoor use (terrace, poolside with cover, verandah) — we commit to 5+ years of serviceable life with normal care. Fully exposed with no cover — we don't recommend; UV degradation accelerates and the yarn becomes brittle over time.

Can I customise size, shape and colour?

Yes. MOQ is 1 piece on every dimension (standard rectangular, runners, rounds, shaped pieces on request). Colour matched to your Pantone or hex reference via lab dip.

What certifications does the fibre carry?

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) chain-of-custody from bottle collection through yarn. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 on the finished rug (no harmful residues). RWS does not apply — RWS is a wool standard. Full certificate pack shared with every buyer on first order.

What's the price vs wool?

Comparable per square metre at the mid-range — a 2 × 3 m PET rug and a 2 × 3 m mid-weight wool kilim land in similar FOB price. PET is cheaper only in bulk programme runs where the yarn cost advantage scales.