YKK’s water repellent zip designed for circular systems
Japan-headquartered zip manufacturer YKK has created a zip featuring GTT EMPEL technology, a water repellent coating designed to be compatible with garment recycling systems.
DynaPel uses technology from US-based Green Theme Technologies instead of the standard PU film, removing one of the barriers in garment recycling.
“DynaPel is a valuable addition to our growing collection of fasteners designed for circular systems,” said Terry Tsukumo, vice-president of strategy at YKK Corporation. “By employing EMPEL technology, we can achieve the robust water protection expected from YKK products while eliminating the challenges that PU poses to recycling systems.”
Conventional chemical and mechanical garment recycling systems cannot process the polyurethane film commonly used on water-repellent zippers, necessitating the removal of zippers from garments before recycling. This additional processing step often deters recyclers from accepting garments with PU zips.
EMPEL technology uses “green chemistry” with no PFAS and a specialised manufacturing process, encapsulating chemicals in a water-repellent layer through molecular cross-linking. The cross-linking creates a durable layer that is highly resistant to abrasion.
