Econyl regenerated
nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...
is a product introduced in 2011 by Aquafil.
It is made entirely from ocean and landfill waste, such as industrial plastic, fabric scraps from clothing manufacturing companies,
old carpets and "
ghost nets
Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded in the ocean. These nets, often nearly invisible in the dim light, can be left tangled on a rocky reef or drifting in the open sea. They can entangle fish, dolp ...
" (lost or abandoned fishing nets).
The product has been used by
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the late American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCar ...
(handbag linings, backpacks, outerware, etc.),
Kelly Slater
Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time. Slater is als ...
's label Outerknown,
Adidas and
Speedo
Speedo International Limited is a distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories based in Nottingham, England, known for its swim briefs. The company has roots in Australia but is no longer based there. Founded in Sydney in 1914 by Ale ...
swimwear,
Levi's
Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, ...
,
Breitling (watch straps), Cantik Swimwear, Rapanui and Panarea Couture swimwear.
Aquafil began nylon recycling in the 1990s, but did not begin exploration of a comprehensive nylon reuse cycle until 2007, which ultimately led to the development of Econyl and the associated closed-loop process in 2011.
Reusing nylon to make Econyl reduces the
global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in a broader sense also includes ...
impact of nylon by 80% compared with the material produced from oil.
Further, the material can be continuously recycled without loss of quality in the finished product.
Aquafil facilities for the collection and recycling of nylon materials include two carpet recycling plants in the United States (in Phoenix, Arizona and Sacramento, California) and a net and carpet recycling facility in Slovenia.
Recycling involves breaking down the nylon polymer into monomers, then re-polymerizing the nylon; the breakdown process is done with only temperature and steam, without the use of chemical agents, in a renewable energy driven process.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Synthetic fibers
{{Textile-stub