Coats, one of the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturers, introduced the biodegradable EcoVerde and EcoRegen as well as EcoCycle, one of the first water-soluble threads of its kind, at the Sustainability Talks Istanbul Conference held both physically and virtually. Commercial Director of Coats EMEA Feridun Ayırga, speaking at the Textile Circularity panel, pointed out that one of the biggest challenges faced by the industry in terms of sustainability is separation and recycling, and said that Coats facilitates recycling with the innovative and sustainable threads they have developed.
“The clothes of the future should be designed to be easily recycled”
Feridun Ayırga stated that the recycling process is difficult because different materials or composites are used together in most of the textile products and noted that the clothes of the future should be designed in a way that can be easily recycled. Ayırga said that as Coats, they aim to help the industry in three ways, and made the following statement:
“First, the threads must be compatible with the fabric in terms of material type. This way, they can be recycled using the same chemicals used for the fabric. Second, we must produce threads that allow easy and cost-effective removal of seams. Third, we must develop these threads from recycled textile materials wherever possible. The textile industry is going through a complex journey. It is not possible for the players in the sector to achieve their sustainability goals alone. Strong collaborations are needed to successfully complete the circularity circle”.
“We have developed one of the first water-soluble threads of its kind with EcoCycle”
Feridun Ayırga said that they lead the circular economy with solutions such as EcoVerde, produced from 100% recycled polyester, and 100% Lyocell thread EcoRegen, which is compatible with the materials used in textile products, and explained that textile products using these solutions can be recycled without even removing the seam. Ayırga continued his words as follows:
“We have developed one of the first water-soluble threads of its kind with our new product, EcoCycle. EcoCycle, which will be on the market soon, is designed to dissolve even when washed at high temperatures. Thus, when a product comes to the end of its life, its components can be easily separated and recycled. Coats invests in innovation, working closely with the industry to create more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for the entire supply chain from start to finish to go beyond these exciting solutions. Because the focus on circularity should occur from the garment design and every step of the value chain has a role in this”.
More than 240 million PET bottles have been recycled since 2018
Coats EcoVerde requires 67 plastic bottles to produce 1 kg of fibre. The company has avoided 5588 tons of CO2 and recycled more than 240 million PET bottles with this process in just three years since EcoVerde was launched in 2018. In addition, the sewing thread has a strong and durable structure, also strengthening the life of the clothes and the design quality.
EcoRegen, an environmentally friendly regenerated fibre obtained from sustainably sourced wood pulp, has a completely biodegradable structure due to its cellulosic origin. In addition, Lyocell, the material from which this thread is made, eliminates the need for irrigation, pesticides or labour-intensive processes during cultivation compared to cotton.
Coats accelerates thier sustainable operations
Coats announced recently that they are accelerating and strengthening their journey towards a sustainable future and stated that they have set larger targets in terms of scope, scale and speed, focusing on net-zero emissions and circularity. Accordingly, the firm will invest $10 million in the next five years to accelerate the development of green technologies and materials in order to achieve their goals faster. Coats Asia Innovation Center, located in Shenzhen, China, will have a new mission and focus on the application of biomaterials. In addition, Coats stated that they aim to produce all their products with environmentally friendly materials and chemicals in the long term.
The Sustainability Talks Istanbul Conference, held for the second time on November 25, hosted the leading brands of the textile and fashion industry from Turkey and abroad. Lots of remarkable applications, from vegan textile production to polyamide, which dissolves in nature in a short time, were introduced at the event focusing on a sustainable and transparent textile value chain and circularity. You can find detailed information on this subject in our news titled ‘Sustainability Talks: It is time to act’.
