How a waste in ocean can be transformed into fabric for luxury fashion industry.
We are all aware about the ocean pollution situation and we know each of us can – and should – act to do something.
To demonstrate the upmarket value of recycled ocean plastic, Ruffo Coli developed the Liquid Fabric through the supply chain of Solaris Community, by using monofilament yarn made of 100% recycled from ocean plastic.
How does the supply chain of Solaris Community works?
- Ocean Plastic Collecting
Together with other social enterprises, Solaris collect ocean-bound plastic in Southeast Asia. On five islands in the Andaman Sea, local fishermen are being trained and paid to gather and sort plastic waste.
- Ocean Plastic Sorting and Shredding
The material is registered, washed, and shredded in a social enterprise which is being implemented by the Swiss non-profit Jan & Oscar Foundation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Compounding and regenerating to new flakes of plastic
The material is tested and produced in partnership with the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (IWK), a branch of the University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Technik) in Rapperswil, Switzerland. They have developed a formula that regenerates the plastic and reverses the damage caused by the UV rays and saltwater the plastic trash was exposed to while floating in the ocean or washed ashore. After a series of upcycling processes, the ocean plastic gains a second life, and ready to redeem itself. It reaches a similar quality as the same type of virgin plastic.
- Extrusion of the filament
To make the recycled ocean plastic usable to product fabric, the flakes are processed with an extrusion machine to produce the filaments. A 100% recycled material yarn.
This circular supply chain reduced the carbon footprint 47 times compared to the original virgin polyester yarn production.
This sustainable liquid fabric from ocean plastic has the same quality and appearance of other polyester, that makes it ideal for the luxury fashion industry.