EcoCycle threads retain their durability during use, but when laundered in an industrial washing machine at 95°C, seams sewn with them dissolve. This enables garments to be easily and quickly pulled apart at the end of their lives so that their non-textile and textile components can be sorted for recycling.
The company is now seeking partners to look at ways in which garments can be designed for recycling using the threads. Product Director for Apparel and Footwear at Coats, Sonya Manolova, says: "We are calling for industry players who want to meaningfully play their part in end-of-life recycling to work with us to integrate [EcoCycle] right at the beginning of the garment design. Together we can enhance our current first-generation product version of EcoCycle to accelerate circularity for our industry."
Coats announced its plans to launch EcoCycle in May 2021, when it revealed a range of biodegradable threads made from lyocell for use in clothing(1).