Low-temperature process for difficult-to-recycle plastics, including PVC

July 1, 2025  |  Swatches

A low-temperature chemical recycling process has the potential to return difficult-to-treat plastics such as LDPE, HDPE and PVC back into oils to be remade into plastics or other products.
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3D clothing designer creates NFT collections

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Danit Peleg, an Israeli 3D clothing designer, believes that 3D printing is the key to making the fashion industry less wasteful. In the future, consumers may be able to design and print their clothing at home, customized to their style and size.
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Biodegradable sensors created with inkjet-printed graphene

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Researchers in England have created flexible, biodegradable inkjet-printed sensors for smart textiles they call Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles (SWEET). Potential future uses include monitoring devices integrated into performance sportswear or home medical-device garments. The …
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Solar-powered hat enables charging on the go

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

EcoFlow Technology Inc., a clean-energy manufacturer based in Seattle, Wash., has released the EcoFlow Power Hat, a foldable solar-powered hat that allows users to charge their devices on the go while participating in outdoor activities such as camping, hiking or fishing.
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Smart pajama top can detect sleep disorders

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

A smart pajama top has been created to help detect sleep disorders and provide an alternative to visiting a sleep clinic. The garment, developed at the University of Cambridge in England, is integrated with a series of graphene strain sensors that sense subtle vibrations in the neck muscles, even wh…
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Antimicrobial reusable textile, coating research

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) is developing an antimicrobial textile coating and fibers with partner Heraeus Precious Metals’ AGXX technology. The metallic AGXX particles contain silver and ruthenium and kill bacteria, fungi, algae and viruses.
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Testing reusable, biodegradable surgical caps

June 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Staff members of Scotland’s Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in Clydebank are testing their codesigned biodegradable and reusable surgical theater caps as part of a research project led by the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University.
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Spider silk development advances

May 15, 2025  |  Swatches

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. announced milestones in production and development of its engineered spider silk for eventual applications in performance, defense and industrial textiles.
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A computer in a single fiber

May 2, 2025  |  Swatches

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have created an elastic fiber computer that can be woven into clothing to monitor the wearer’s health condition and physical activity.
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Storm Creek reduces plastic waste, gives back to community

April 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Storm Creek, an apparel brand based in Eagan, Minn., is committed to reducing plastic waste through upcycling plastic bottles into clothing items. The company sources plastic bottles from postconsumer waste that are broken down into plastic flakes, then beads and finally, polyester fibers that are u…
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