Bales are ground into a rough material called PET flakes to be prepared for conversion to a raw material source. The fewer impurities (bottle screw tops or necks, foreign plastics, etc.) the greater the possibilities for the flakes. Low quality flakes may not qualify for reconsideration as fabric.

After washing, the highest quality ground flakes are chemically separated from impurities  and converted to PET chips through a process known as  de-polymerizing and re-polymerizing. Once complete, the resulting fibers can be woven into yarns.