How make performance fabrics more sustainable in finishing

Performance fabrics have gradually become popular products in outdoor and winter outerwear categories due to their excellent water pressure resistance and breathability.

Common finishing processes for performance fabrics include lamination, coating, and three-layer bonding.

Its water pressure resistance and breathability are achieved through the middle membrane layer. The most commonly used finishing process in the market is TPU or PU film. The subsequent difficulty is the recycling of the fabric and finishing materials. Due to the inconsistent composition of materials, it is difficult to separate them after recycling.

For most performance fabrics, the top side will be made of 100% recycled polyester or 100% recycled nylon. If want to achieve total recyclability, you must consider that the finishing material is consistent with the top side material, that is, the film layer follows the topside and uses the corresponding polyester film ( TPE film) or nylon film (TPA film), the third layer on the back is also made of polyester jersey/tricot or nylon jersey/tricot, that is, MONO materials.