Pertex technical innovation seeks to shield against recycling challenges
Technical fabric developer Pertex recently revealed Shield Revolve, which it described as a more sustainable and technical material with both waterproof and breathable properties.
A mono-material laminate, meaning that each fabric layer is made from a single polymer, Shield Revolve is 100% made up of recycled polyester.
In theory, Pertex’s new material should therefore be “much easier” to be recycled at end of life, it said.
Brand director, Steve Laycock, explained the perceived need for Shield Revolve in the market: “Conventional waterproof breathable fabrics are constructed from multiple polymer layers, such as nylon, polyurethane, polyester and fluoropolymers, which are laminated into a multi-material fabric.
“These fabrics are very difficult to recycle at the end of a product’s life, due to the major challenges of separating out the different polymers into their relevant waste streams.”
Significantly, the material is also free from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. (Read more about PFAS in the latest edition of WSA here.)
Outdoor apparel specialists Rab and Klättermusen, plus functional sportswear brand Martini, have all already incorporated Shield Revolve in recent collections.
Rab’s marketing director, Jim Evans, commented that the fabric allowed his company to reduce its environmental impact, all the while “maintaining the performance you’d expect”.
On behalf of Klättermusen, the label’s global head of marketing, Ida Holeman, framed the development as evidence of “circular thinking”. She said that Shield Revolve-based products were “not only recycled, but also totally recyclable again”.
Similarly, a marketing spokesperson for Martini, Ludwig Moz, said that the material would allow the brand’s customers to exercise “with a good conscience”, owing to its 100% recycled nature.
