Photo: Liloop & Advanced Hemp new visual (Kintsugi scene)
Liloop, a linen recycling project to be released this spring — current challenges
The final and most important piece of weavearth, Liloop, is a project that aims to re-spin discarded industrial waste linen into yarn and complete the circular loop. However, many challenges remain.
One example is the issue of “foreign matter contamination.”
(Photo: polyester thread from a fabric selvedge, discovered and removed by hand)
By raising the recycled linen content to 50%, we found that unexpected foreign matter could be mixed in. The actual cause is small amounts of polyester thread (less than 0.1% overall) used in fabric selvedges to stabilize weaving. These threads prevent dye from penetrating that area, leaving tiny white specks (in the photo example, red dye remains).
We also found that since the raw materials differ in production period, origin, and finishing methods, these conditions can affect the outcome after dyeing. Careful attention to final finishing is therefore essential. If overlooked, more neps and slubs may appear. While this is a challenge, our existing know-how suggests possible solutions.
After much development, Liloop adopted yarn with a blend of 50% recycled linen. If the ratio were lowered (e.g., to around 15%), the risks would decrease. However, with 85% cotton the texture becomes more like cotton. Could that still be considered “circulating linen”? Would it truly convince us? This question made us reconsider what kind of products are genuinely necessary for the future.
(Photo: mixed raw material of recycled linen and cotton before twisting into yarn)
Liloop’s Purpose: A Prototype for the Circular Economy
To address these challenges and improve quality, thorough sorting before processing is crucial. In a future society built on the circular economy, products must be easy to repair and easy to disassemble. At this stage, how to establish such sorting remains a major issue.
Customer understanding is also important. The above phenomenon does not affect wearability. If such items were simply treated as defective, the project would fail to address the issue of mass disposal in the apparel industry. We hope to explain this carefully and share our philosophy.
Weavearth envisions an approach like kintsugi pottery — inheriting the gifts of nature as they are, and treasuring them for long use. We hope that Liloop will grow into a product embodying this spirit.
(Daitoh)
