ViFour

Recycling textiles in modern society is a challenging process. It is mostly only done with materials 100 per cent made from one material and even then there has to be virgin material added. In the modern age, most textiles are mixed materials, meaning 90 per cent of them end up in a landfill. Vifour is a new material which gives these unrecyclable fabric scraps a new purpose in a fully circular coat. The new material can be recycled endlessly without losing quality.

A story of circulairity

The material has a leather-like feeling and can be made in different thicknesses and structures. It is a combination of unrecyclable fabric scraps (about 93 per cent) and a natural binding material. The materials added are entirely natural, vegan and biodegradable.
The beauty of the material is that it is 100 per cent circular. The idea is to create a system where the material is being leased so it will always come back to our factory. The material is made in a way that we can recycle it endlessly. The first few times the material is recycled it goes up in quality, which means that it can be used for different applications. There is no need to add anything during the recycling process. The material can simply be melted and shaped again.
The material can be used in many different ways. It can be poured in a mould, spread out and sewn or shaped like a sculpture. When the material breaks or is ripped, it is easily prepared with some new material. after this process, you will no longer see where it is mended.
It is also possible to cover up the seams. This can create the solution of a seamless design without difficult patterns.

In a fully circular process, we are working towards a system where no more virgin materials are needed. We eliminate the idea of throwing things away, of considering materials as waste. The material would be leased to the designers, they will make a functional object out of it within the fashion industry. The leftovers from the cutting and the collection are sent back to the factory so that they can be recycled again. The items will be sold to the wearer. When the items break, a special care package will be sent to the current wearer, who can easily restore or even upgrade (adding a different colour for example) the item themselves. Once the item is worn out, it will be sent back to the factory in exchange for a discount coupon to ensure most of the items can be recycled. If however, the item does in the end end up in a landfill. The material will decompose much easier than a normal clothing item.