YKK to highlight sustainability at Premiere Vision

YKK will be showcasing its commitment to sustainability with its latest collection at Premiere Vision, taking place in Paris from February 11-13.

Reducing environmental impact has been one of the guiding principles of YKK since 1994, way before sustainability became an ever-present buzzword and at Premiere Vision, the company will be showcasing a number of its sustainable products, including its NATULON® range and GreenRise®.

These products have been designed around the company’s founding philosophy the ‘Cycle of Goodness’, ensuring that corporate responsibility, transparency and respect for the environment defines every business and management decision.

The NATULON® zippers are a resource-conserving, recycling-oriented product made from PET bottles, old fibre and other polyester remnants. They are the result of a double-layered development system offering both chemical and material recycling options.

YKK processes the environmentally friendly zipper to reduce negative influences on the environment such as energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, the use of crude oil and the production of industrial waste to facilitate further recycling, ideal for customers who want to market their product as recyclable.

A NATULON® Chemically Recycled Zipper is made from chemically recycled post-consumer polyester, and so is perpetually recyclable. Through this NATULON® product, YKK have reduced the need for new materials by employing the most advanced chemical recycling technology available.

The other option on display at Premiere Vision is the NATULON® Material Recycled Zipper, designed for customers who want to increase the recycled content of their products. These are made from recycled materials, such as PET bottles, using material recycling technologies.

GreenRise® is an innovative YKK development that creates zippers using a plant-based material, whose raw component is molasses, a byproduct in the manufacturing of sugar, reducing petroleum usage and the associated CO₂ emissions.

YKK with Cooperativa Girasole for its ‘Let’s Work’ project

YKK is continuing its collaboration with the non-profit organisation, Cooperativa Girasole on its ‘Let’s Work’ project, a real leather workshop for people with physical and mental disabilities that offers rehabilitation and provides professional training.

To highlight the project, YKK asked Cooperativa Girasole’s trainees to make a special clutch bag, to be a special gift this season for early visitors to its booth, 4E42 in the Accessories area in Hall 4.

Founded in 1934 by Tadao Yoshida in Japan, YKK stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha and today the brand is synonymous with innovation and technology and can be seen on many of the world's leading fashion and accessory products. The company develops and produces a range of fastening solutions, including zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, fabric tapes and plastic products and snap and button items for all fashion applications including leather goods, technical garments, furnishings, trims for the automotive sector and more.

Image: courtesy of YKK