Companies continue to develop product lines using recycled and biodegradable materials to address plastic waste and the call for a more circular economy.
Avery Dennison has introduced a line of sustainable fasteners called Ecotach to meet the needs of environmentally conscious apparel retailers, brand owners and consumers. At the same time, Brazilian textile company Digitale has released Eco, a fabric made from recycled threads from plastic bottles, and the Hope lingerie brand from Brazil launched a product lineup with biodegradable fabrics.
Avery Dennison’s Ecotach recycled fasteners include recycled plastics and have similar functionality as fasteners made with virgin material. Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) fasteners carry a “Recycled” logo molded onto the paddle for immediate recognition of the brand’s sustainability efforts, creating a positive image of environmental stewardship for just fractions of a cent per garment.
RPET fasteners contain at least 90 percent post-consumer waste from recycled plastic bottles. The company noted that every roll of 834 rPET fasteners reduces the landfill load by more than eight plastic bottles.
Recycled polyamide (rPA) fasteners use at least 70 percent post-consumer waste from recycled carpets. Each master carton of rPA fasteners eliminates 60 square feet of nylon carpet.
The Ecotach rPA fasteners are available globally in half-inch and two-inch lengths in dark grey and light gray color clips. Application is simple and quick with any Fine Fabric tool. The rPET fasteners are available in 13 standard colors that can be Pantone matched.
Related Stories
“Avery Dennison is the first to market a post-consumer waste fastener featuring third-party substantiation,” Dan Riendeau, senior marketing manager for Fastener Solutions, said.
Ecotach rPA fasteners have been accredited by SCS Global Services, an international third-party company for environmental, sustainability and quality performance certification.
In the fashion field, Brazilian firms are stepping up their environmental quotient.
Textile company Digitale, which specializes in beach and fitness fashion fabrics, has released a product aligned with the concept of sustainable fashion. Named Eco, the fabric uses recycled threads from plastic bottles and, in addition to removing waste from the environment, is saving water and energy in its manufacturing.
“We’re always thinking about ways to reduce the environmental impact,” CEO Mario Schick said.
The company noted that every kilogram of recycled thread used in the conception of Eco removes an average of 60 plastic bottles from the environment. In addition, recycling a plastic bottle saves the equivalent of three hours of power from a 60-watt lamp, reduces CO2 emissions by 65 percent and water consumption by 90 percent.
With the new company lineup, in addition to the material itself, environmental care is followed throughout other steps in the chain. The generated waste goes to recycling and Digitale partners with its suppliers to return materials such as trays and cones for reutilization instead of disposal.
Aiming at becoming increasingly sustainable, the Hope lingerie brand has released a product lineup with biodegradable fabrics. The company, part of Texbrasil (the Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program), has also presented its fitness collection named Hope Resort.
For this novelty, the company partnered with Rhodia, which has developed the technology used in the fabrics. The thread developed by the company is made from biodegradable polyamide, called Amni Soul Eco, and allows for a faster biodegradation process when the clothing is disposed of in sanitary landfills.
All products with the new fabric boast the same durability as other brands’ clothing pieces, with the advantage of decomposing in up to three years when compared to the 50 years of common microfiber.
Hope’s decision came from the desire of being more sustainable. The brand has analyzed data from the national textile industry and realized that the underwear fashion sector accounts for the disposal of 170 tons of waste annually.
The new products that include the lingerie Touch line and the Bamboo fitness fashion group are all biodegradable. The brand estimates that by 2021 all pieces of the Touch collection will be made with sustainable fabric.