The 50 is a US-made jacket created by a company called Dirtball, which deals exclusively in 100% US-made, 100% eco-friendly products. It is called The 50 because it is made entirely from 50 recycled water bottles. Post-consumer plastic bottles are sorted, stripped of their labels and caps, and ground down to shavings, which are melted and formed into a polyester fiber that is chemically and functionally similar to virgin polyester.
The 50 is a puffer jacket, intended for colder climates. The shell fabric is 70D 4.5 oz/sq yd treated with DWR. The body fill is 6D 11.5 oz/sq yd polyester, and the arm fill is 6D 8.5 oz/sq yd polyester.
The 50 is 100% recyclable. Customers will be able to send The 50 back to Dirtball for reprocessing, receiving a discount on future Dirtball purchases. Additionally, production of The 50 employs up to 150 American workers during the jacket’s three-month production cycle.
For more information, and to fund the project, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670083643/the-50-jacket-made-in-the-usa-from-recycled-water