As the interest in SDGs and sustainability has been growing in the fashion industry.

Manufacturers are selling environmentally friendly and sustainable materials such as fabrics, tapes, and buttons.

On top of that eco-friendly products for zippers are also available with increasing inquiry from customers

This time,  let’s walk through YKK’s sustainable brand name!

YKK NATULON®️ zippers

YKK’s NATULON®️ zippers are recycled zippers made from recycled polyester materials by chemical recycling.

The term “chemical recycling” may be unfamiliar to many, but it is a recycling method whereby polyester waste materials such as recovered fiber scraps are chemically decomposed to remove impurities to produce recycled polyester.

Chemical Recycling ->Collected fiber waste->Pulverized ->Polymerization by depolymerization/purification DMT (dimethyl terephthalate)->Polyester polymer->Recycled polyester yarn>NATURON®️ zippers->Final product->Back to recovered fiber scraps

This cycle is called chemical recycling.

NATULON®️ zipper product list:

Coil zippers

VISLON zippers

Metal zippers

Coil zippers are available in size 3,4.5 and 5, Both elements and tapes are made of recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

Vislon zippers are available in size 3, 4.5 and 5. The tape is made of recycled PET, while the elements are made of POM (polyacetal) or recycled PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), depending on the size and color.

Metal zippers are available in size 3 and 5, with elements made of tan copper and tapes made of recycled PET.

The appearance and the texture of these tapes are not so different from those of ordinary zippers.

Notes on NATULON®️ zippers

Due to the nature of the recycled agent, the color may differ slightly from that of regular products. Please be sure to check with a sample before mass production, especially with light colors.

YKK GreenRise®️ zippers

GreenRise®️ is a zipper in which 30% of the polyester, the main material of the zipper, is plant-derived instead of the conventional fossil fuel-derived material. This plant-derived material is made from “waste molasses,” a byproduct of sugar production from sugar cane.

This is an environmentally friendly way to kill two birds with one stone by making effective use of waste molasses that would normally be thrown away!

The use of plant-derived materials reduces the consumption of fossil resources and contributes to the prevention of global warming, making this an earth-friendly zipper.

*Coil uses plant-derived PET for tapes, elements, core strings, and sewing threads, and Vislon uses plant-derived PET for tapes and core strings.

GreenRise®️ zipper lineup

The product lineup of GreenRise®️ zippers are

Coil zippers

VISLON zippers

Coil zippers are available in size 3 and 5 and can be ordered with a full lineup of zippers: closed-ended, opened- end, reverse, and chain.

VISLON zippers are available in 5 sizes only and can be ordered in closed-end, opened-end, reverse, and chain.

Conclusion

Zippers are a small part of clothing, but even such detailed materials will be replaced by sustainable alternatives.

For more zippers and YKK products, please visit ApparelX’s YKK product list.