Tyvek® is a fibrous synthetic material manufactured by the DuPont company – one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers. It is made from polyethylene fibres compressed with heat and pressure to form sheets of a material similar in texture and appearance to paper.
As a material, Tyvek® is used in a number of different industries for a variety of purposes. Because of its properties, we often see sheets of Tyvek® used in construction, medicine, packaging, and more. Tyvek® wristbands are often favoured for events involving water or where durability is key. On the other hand, paper wristbands are a sustainable choice for events, offering an environmentally friendly option as they are easy to recycle.
The infographic below provides a quick overview of the characteristics and benefits of each Tyvek wristband offered by The Wristband Co.
Tyvek® and paper look and feel incredibly similar. They’re both thin, lightweight and have that grainy, paper-like texture. This is partly because they are both composed of strands of fibres, but the fibres for paper are sourced from wood, whereas Tyvek® is sourced from a material called polyethylene.
The appearance of both paper and Tyvek® makes them ideal materials to dye or print upon. However, despite their superficial similarities, Tyvek® is considered much more durable than paper and is favoured in circumstances where the product may be exposed to the elements.
Both Tyvek and paper wristbands are convenient and secure ways to keep track of consumers in crowded areas. With wristbands, security can quickly determine who belongs where.
When it comes to durability, Tyvek® wins hands down. The material can be cut, shaped and folded just like paper, but it’s resistant to rips and tears.
These are just some of the many reasons why we recommend Tyvek® over paper for outdoor events. If you’re at a festival or event, you don’t want to worry about your wristband falling off your wrist and being lost somewhere at the bottom of a portaloo!
If you are looking for a rugged and flexible material, Tyvek® is the right choice for you.
Tyvek is resistant to water droplets, but it allows water vapour to pass through. This means it’s useful for materials like protective clothing, as it acts as a barrier for water but allows some level of breathability.
Compared to paper, Tyvek® performs much better under wet conditions – with one exception. In construction, many companies still favour traditional building paper, a type of paper soaked in asphalt. Because of its permeability to water vapour, Tyvek® is favoured over building paper only in very low temperatures, as these conditions can cause the paper to become brittle and break.
If durability under wet conditions is a factor for you, then Tyvek® is the way to go.
Here at The Wristband Co., sustainability is a cause that we hold close to our hearts. Our genuine passion for operating a sustainable and responsible business is one of the big reasons we love both Tyvek and paper, as both materials are 100% recyclable.
Paper and Tyvek differ in their recycling processes due to their material compositions. Paper wristbands, being made from recyclable paper fibres, can be easily recycled through traditional paper recycling methods, where they are broken down and reused to create new paper products. Tyvek, a synthetic material, requires specialised recycling facilities to separate its components for recycling, involving processes to break down the polyethylene fibres for potential reuse in different plastic-based products. To make recycling easy, we can help by collecting and recycling them for you, giving them a new life.
Read more about our sustainability efforts here
We hope you have enjoyed reading this blog comparing paper wristbands to Tyvek wristbands, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding our custom event wristbands, or future blog posts, head to our contact us page here and get in touch 
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38 Little Rundle Street Kent Town SA 5067
08 8363 4850
ABN: 62 239 772 879
The Wristband Co. is located on the traditional lands for the Kaurna people, and we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.
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