Sympatex to launch 100% recycled membrane material

06/09/2016
High-tech functional materials developer Sympatex Technologies is preparing to introduce a 100% recycled Sympatex membrane for the first time. It will present the next stage of development at the Lineapelle exhibition in Milan (September 20-22). It will also show new laminate developments in the footwear business division.

The Sympatex membrane is PTFE-free and PFC-free. It is made of polyether-ester that represents no health hazard and can be recycled in a similar way to PET bottles. The company introduced a pre-consumer recycling procedure as a standard part of its manufacturing of the membrane in 2011, helping to reduce the amount of virgin material it uses by up to 15%.

It says a 100% recycled membrane is the next step in this process; this will involve making membrane material that consists exclusively of unused waste. “If you then laminate the 100% recycled Sympatex membrane with a 100% recycled polyester lining or outer fabric, you can create a completely recycled mono-material laminate,” the company said in the build-up to Lineapelle.