Design to Recycle : inventing mono-material closure systems for clothing garments made of cotton

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to investigate the connection between garment design and its ability to be recycled. By exploring new possibilities of sustainable and mono-material design, one of the goals of this thesis was to encourage creative thinking when designing new products. The thesis included research about recycling cotton textile and explored the methods and requirements for garment recyclability. It described the process and different ways of recycling cotton textile as well as its overall life cycle from cotton harvesting through spinning and illustrated brief history of cotton production. The thesis also explained the concept of mono-material design and its impact on the disposal options, specifically textile recycling. Before proceeding to the design part, the thesis introduced examples of garment closures and fasteners; and explained their utilization and application in garment construction. The analysed concepts were brought into practice by following the principles of “design to recycle” included in the main body of the thesis by carrying out experimentation and design development of mono-material garments. The goal was to explore, adapt, and innovate to create mono-material closure solutions that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally efficient. As a result, the process of designing a collection of clothing garments was closely documented throughout the whole entirety. At the end, the thesis analysed if the outcomes of the design experimentation were beneficial in terms of clothing recycling and overall sustainability.