World’s Largest Zipper Producer Brings Water-Repellent Version That’s Recyclable

YKK, the world’s most prominent zipper manufacturing firm, has unfastened its new water-repellent zipper, ‘DynaPel’, a significant step forward in making garment accessories more compatible with existing recycling systems.

Unlike traditional water-repellent zippers that use a polyurethane (PU) film, DynaPel employs EMPEL technology—doing away with the usual challenges in circular textile-to-textile recycling models.

By eliminating urethane material, the eco-friendly accessory makes it easier to recycle clothing without the need for removing zippers, which often leads to waste.

Typically, conventional chemical and mechanical recycling systems struggle to process the polyurethane film used on water-repellent zippers.

This limitation necessitates the removal of zippers from garments before they can be recycled, a process that can deter recyclers from accepting certain outfits.

With the latest EMPEL technology, the component incorporates advanced green chemistry that is free from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

This innovation involves a specialized manufacturing process where the chemistry penetrates the yarn and encapsulates it with a water-repellent layer through molecular cross-linking.

The molecular cross-linking creates a layer that is not only highly durable and resistant to abrasion but also invisible to the eye.

“DynaPel represents a new generation of sustainable, high-performance water-repellant zippers,” said Terry Tsukumo, vice president of the product strategy division at YKK Corporation. 

“It is the future of water protection for zippers.”

[via Fashion United and Fashionating World, cover image via YKK Americas]