Material Design for Disassembly
The Conscious Textile Group, a collaboration between Nanushka and MOME, addresses the significant challenge of textile recycling, particularly the complexity posed by modern garments made from material blends. Traditional recycling methods, such as chemical and mechanical recycling, often fail to maintain the quality of recycled fibers, leading to downcycling and the need to add virgin materials, which compromises sustainability. In response, the project reimagines textile production from post-consumer waste by developing a closed-loop, continuous recycling system. This innovative approach focuses on maintaining the quality of recycled fibers through repeated cycles, without degradation, thereby ensuring the longevity and performance of the resulting textiles.
The project emphasizes the potential of non-wovens—typically considered low-quality due to their inexpensive production methods—by transforming them into high-performance, aesthetically appealing materials. Using a "design for disassembly" strategy, the project creates non-wovens entirely from recycled textile waste, with a stabilizing pattern sewn using a water-soluble thread that dissolves. This allows the material to easily disassemble back into fibers, facilitating efficient recycling without mechanical degradation. The use of 100% textile waste and the minimal addition of virgin material (the water-soluble thread) demonstrate that high-quality, sustainable textiles can be achieved. This approach paves the way for a circular fashion industry, where recycled materials can be reused indefinitely, preserving their quality and reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Project phases
Material analysis
Feb 2023 - Apr 2023
In the first phase, the focus was on identifying the properties of pre-consumer textile waste (material composition, textile construction) and the development of an archive.
Down-to-the-fibre recycling
Apr 2023 - Jul 2023
Different down-to-fibre recycling methods were tested. Mechanical recycling was chosen as the best method for recycling the material in a way that aligns with industrial processes and is applicable to most material qualities.
Rapid prototyping
Jul 2023 - Nov 2023
The third phase involved experimenting with ways to transform the short, recycled fibers back into a viable textile surface. Multiple prototypes, using various textile construction methods were made to determine the best result. A combination of non-woven construction and a quilting technique gave the most promising results in terms of sustainability and material performance.
Mechanical recycling
Oct 2023 - Dec 2023
The collaboration with a Hungarian company was established to carry out the mechanical recycling of approximately 20 KG of blend material, textile waste.
Non-woven making
Feb 2024 - Apr 2024
To turn the recycled fibres into a nonwoven sheet, we collaborated with another company based in Hungary. This company carded the material into sheet materials of 70x100cm.
Stabilization
Apr 2024 - Jun 2024
In the final step of the material making process, our local sewing partner apply the square pattern onto the non-woven by quilting . This quilting process provided the final stability needed for the material, ensuring its durability and functionality.
Final prototype
Jun 2024 - Aug 2024
The garment consists of two pieces: an outer jacket and an inner vest made from the newly developed material. The vest will also serve as wadding, providing warmth and embodying the concept of continuous use.
Material analysis
Down-to-the-fibre recycling
Rapid prototyping
Mechanical recycling
Non-woven making
Stabilization
Final prototype
