Mono Material: Singular and circular design
The future of apparel is circular, and we are committed to continuously exploring new designs and technologies to get there. This season, we are taking a big step forward with the launch of the environmentally-conscious Mono Material line. Featuring garments with singular material construction, this new 100% recyclable collection reduces waste by enabling garment-to-garment recycling. Let’s go full circle!
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100% Recyclable
Each Mono Material product is made from a single material without any mixed fibers, making them a better resource in a circular system where the goal is textile-to-textile recycling. When recycled into new materials, mono materials maintain a higher quality than mixed fibers, and for consumers, these singular material garments are resilient and easier to care for, delivering longer-lasting performance and protection.
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The circular design process
The toned-down, minimalistic Mono Material line is designed with the garment’s entire life cycle in mind
“We’re always looking to explore new designs and technologies to evolve our Urban collection,” says Kristoffer Ulriksen, Category Managing Director for Urban at Helly Hansen. “While the infrastructure of a circular system is still being developed, we’re excited to contribute our support with our new Mono Material line. ”The new line includes the Mono Material Insulator, which is made entirely from polyester, including insulation composed of 100% recycled down-feel polyester. The insulator is also PFC-free and features double weave stitch-free channels, making it lightweight, comfortable and a perfect option for everyday style and added warmth. The insulator is available in both men’s and women’s specific styles and comes in a variety of colorways.
A purposeful design process
The ideal life cycle of a garment goes like this: Source –> Design –> Wear –> Pass –> Patch –> Recycle. Since 1877, we’ve had a focus on designing long-lasting products, but the infrastructure to fully accommodate a circular design process wasn’t developed. Now, as new technologies are opening up new opportunities, our long-term goal is to take end-of-life into consideration at the design stage for all products we make.
As much as 80% of a garment’s environmental footprint is determined in the design phase. In this phase, we specify materials and constructions dictating the footprint upstream in the supply chain but also the footprint at end-of-use for the product, which doesn’t have to be end-of-life for the material. By constructing the garment in one material, we ensure that the garment can be recycled, and the material can be used again in new textiles.
With 73% of clothing either ending up in a landfill or being incinerated at the end-of-life and only 1% of textiles being recycled into new fabrics, Helly Hansen is hoping to lead the way forward in eliminating waste through circular recycling.
Preparing for the future
Our natural resources are limited, and humans are over-consuming materials and other resources to the extent that we would need 1,7 globes to support us. We need to bring that down to one-planet consumption by implementing a circular mindset to our products, applying materials with improved environmental profiles.
While the process of transporting the garments from the hands of the consumer to the recycling facility is still in development, we are continuing to explore, innovate, and do our part in supporting a circular economy. In Europe, more and more countries are starting to collect textiles separately, and material identification technology is advancing. With advanced material identification, recycling will be more widespread and available.
Innovative and forward-thinking, the Mono Material collection is an important step forward in supporting a circular economy and ultimately reducing waste, proving that it’s possible to create high-performing products that can stand the test of time, even when their time is up.
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