Following extensive trials, French sportswear brand Decathlon has launched a unique knitting technique for its new Negombo fabric. Introduced in Decathlon Nabaiji swimwear, this innovative fabric has been made from recycled feedstocks, and is both recyclable and eco-friendly.
Eliminating the use elastane, the Negombo fabric utlises a combination of Lycra’s T400eco fiber and recycled PET. Decathlon's special knitting technique enables the fabric to retain its shape and stretchiness over time. Impressively, 76 per cent of the fabric's fibers are recycled.
To establish a fabric-to-fabric circular reprocessing route, Decathlon is also developing a recycling process for Negombo fabric with various partners.
Laboratory tests show that Negombo fabric has a chlorine resistance of over 500 hours, significantly enhancing its durability. Additionally, the polyester-based fabric can be printed using sublimation techniques, reducing CO2 emissions by 60 per cent compared to conventional dyeing. With 210 grams of opacity, the fabric eliminates the need for a liner, saving material and ensuring faster drying. The fabric also offers a UV protection factor of over 50.
To further enhance its new Nabaiji apparel line, Decathlon has partnered with Resortecs, a Brussels-based company focused on making recycling more feasible through innovative design-for-disassembly technologies. Resortecs' Smart Stitch technology includes a range of 16 heat-dissolvable sewing threads, compatible with all stitching machines and available in various colors and strengths. These threads dissolve at temperatures between 150 and 190 degrees, depending on the fiber type, facilitating the disassembly of fabrics and making it easier to recycle unsold inventory. Garments using Smart Stitch threads can be washed, ironed, and laundered without any issues during their lifetime.
Resortecs' complementary technology, Smart Disassembly, is a patented industrial-scale thermal disassembly system with a flexible capacity of 1-13 tons per day and a processing speed five times faster than manual disassembly. This system operates in low-oxygen chambers to prevent oxidation damage and uses a closed-loop heating system that maximizes energy recovery and minimises CO2 emissions.
Together, Decathlon's innovations in fabric technology and Resortecs' advancements in recycling processes are setting new standards for sustainable and durable swimwear.
