This fall, Berlin-based label Ucon Acrobatics was one of the first companies in the world to launch bags and backpacks made primarily from recycled textiles. And this very backpack could soon be yours. Good luck taking part!
15th DECEMBER // PLAY & WIN!
“The textile industry has a massive waste problem to solve. Every second, a truckload of textiles is landfilled or burned somewhere on earth. In 2021, only 0.6% was recycled into new textiles. This means that 99.4% ended up in landfills or got burned,” says Martin Fussenegger, who founded Ucon Acrobatics in 2001 together with Jochen Smuda. That’s the reason why Ucon Acrobatics now recycles textile waste instead of PET bottles from the beverage industry. In pilot plants for recycling waste, textile waste with high contents of PET is converted into new, high-quality PET granules, which is then further processed into yarns. This results in a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to synthetic virgin polyester. In addition, fabric fillers – such as hard plastic elements and foams – will be replaced by textile waste in the form of felt.
A resource-efficient dyeing process named “dope dye” replaces conventional dying methods, reducing water consumption by up 90%, chemical usage by 80%, and energy and CO2 emissions by half. “The measures in this combination are extraordinary and very ambitious. Despite the higher production costs, we want to make progress because we see the circular economy as one of the major tasks of our time,” emphasizes Martin Fussenegger.
Over a period of nearly three years, Ucon Acrobatics has been working to develop a custom tech material made of polyurethane (“PUrTEX∞”) that is second to none. Compared to conventional “vegan leathers”, the scratch resistance has been improved by 100 times and is free of solvents.
From 2024, Ucon Acrobatics wants to gradually convert its entire production to complete circularity and be a leader in initiating this change industry-wide with hopes of imitators, because: “The industry has to rethink – better today than tomorrow.”
More infos >>> here!