YKK Group is one of the few in the apparel business who have taken the lead in establishing an environmental management system to promote environmentally-friendly measures in all their activities, from product design to manufacturing, use, disposal , collection and recycling. The company, although acknowledging the need of plastic products in our surroundings, still recognised the problem of resultant growth in non- degradable garbage. In an effort to contribute towards waste reduction, YKK has developed fasteners that use recycled materials, fasteners that can be recycled after use, and biodegradable fasteners that can be broken down after use into water and carbon dioxide and returned to nature by micro organisms.
This year the company chose to focus upon and promote its new range of eco-friendly and biodegradable zippers. Natulon® is an environmet friendly zipper that has been made from recycled materials. Both, the tape and element, have been manufactured using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), while the polyacetal (POM) stops and open parts are replaced with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Similarly, the tape colour of these zips may differ from the regular shade card due to the recycle chip nature of the same. Natulon is a product of low emission and low waste technology.
Similarly, ReEarth® is the new biodegradable zipper made from biodegradable plastic that can be dissolved in soil by micro-organisms; the process involves the decomposition of the zipper into carbon dioxide and water through photosynthesis and hydrolysis. Construction of the ReEarth zipper includes biodegradable yarn for making the tape, the core cord and also the sewing thread, and biodegradable polyester for the monofilament element. In addition, whereas the top stop is made of copper alloy, the bottom stop is of aluminium alloy. Similarly, the slider is made of zinc alloy offering a strength.