Innovation That Matters

With the Smart Stitch thread, products including shoes, jeans and backpacks can be easily disassembled for future reuse | Photo source Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash

Dissolvable thread simplifies textile recycling

Fashion & Beauty

The thread breaks down in high temperatures, making it much easier for designers to reuse materials

Spotted: Recycling clothing and reusing fabrics may become much easier with the invention of Resortecs’ Smart Stitch thread. The thread works with personal and commercial sewing machines and can dissolve at high temperatures. With heat application, recycling and reuse become much less energy and resource-intensive. Traditionally, removing zippers and buttons requires significant manual labour, greatly slowing down the overall recycling process for clothing.

With the Smart Stitch thread, products including shoes, jeans and backpacks can be easily disassembled for future reuse, and the thread can assist brands in reducing overstock and handling returns and recycling. Having recently won the inaugural textile innovation award from Textirama, the €40,000 prize money will help the business develop its plans, which include dismantling plants, to disassemble products on a much larger scale. Resortecs also provides circular economy consultancy support for brands seeking ways to improve their environmental footprint.

Textiles use up an astonishing proportion of the world’s resources, and Springwise has spotted innovations aiming to reduce such waste. A closed-loop process that reformats natural fibres to replace current plastic-based materials is currently in development, and a company is using microbial fermentation to produce sustainable textile dyes.

Explore more: Fashion & Beauty Innovations | Retail Innovations | Sustainability Innovations

Website: resortecs.com

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