#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2024-11-14

YKK unveils innovative zipper to boost garment recycling

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroaki Otani; hereafter, YKK) has developed NATULON Plus® with Recycled PET Open Parts, as part of its efforts to promote garment recycling. This innovative product will be showcased at the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Oregon, USA, from November 19 to November 21, 2024.

In the fashion industry there is an increasing demand for products that are designed to be easily recyclable at the end of their lifecycle. YKK is pleased to announce the new NATULON Plus® with Recycled PET Open Parts, a zipper maximizing the use of PET materials, which was conceived as a more easily recyclable YKK® product. The chain and the open parts are made of recycled PET, and the PET materials for the injection molding of the open parts were developed by YKK in-house. The slider is made of metal for ease of sorting and durability. This product simplifies the garment processing stage of textile recycling by reducing the need to remove the zipper.

Product Introduction: NATULON Plus® with Recycled PET Open Parts

Terry Tsukumo, Vice President, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corporation, comments:“A large amount of apparel products is thrown away each year. We need to extend the service life of products while simultaneously designing them to be easily recyclable after use. We believe that incorporating YKK’s NATULON Plus® with recycled PET open parts into garments will simplify the garment processing stage and enable more of them to be recycled along with the garments. YKK has previously developed products that help to enable a circular economy such as VISLON® NATULON® made with ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon, a recyclable product which is intended for nylon garments, as well as revived replacement elements for VISLON® zippers which can replace broken elements to keep garments functioning longer. YKK will continue enhancing its products designed for circularity such as those that are easily recyclable and repairable, while aggressively working to tackle environmental problems in the apparel industry across the entire supply chain.”

Other products that aim to bring about a circular economy

+ VISLON® NATULON® made with ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon

Made of ECONYL® regenerated nylon, this zipper for nylon garments has been developed so that it can be recycled back into raw materials after use.

+ ADVANCEN® Made with ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon

This snap button is made of a single plastic material, using more than 98% recycled nylon ECONYL®.

+ Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® zippers

This allows users to replace only the damaged element, without replacing the entire zipper.

+ DynaPel®

This zipper features a water-repellent function that does not rely on polyurethane (PU) films or coatings, which are often incompatible with many recycling systems.

+ TouchLink®

The zipper slider is equipped with an NFC chip, allowing customers and recyclers to easily access detailed information about the product with TouchLink® technology. This includes production date and location, material composition, care instructions, repair information, and more.

YKK invests USD 150 million in new manufacturing facility in India

YKK Corporation has announced plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in India, reinforcing its long-term commitment to one of the world's fastest-growing textile and apparel production hubs. The new factory will be built at Origins by Mahindra in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and will become the third manufacturing site of YKK India Private Limited. The facility is expected to be completed by February 2028 and represents an investment of approximately USD 150 million, covering land, buildings, machinery and equipment.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.