Next Generation Design Competition
SLiK Nonwovens
Textiles made from recycled plastic bags.
By Karin Carter
Product: SLiK nonwovens make sense. Take some landfill (used plastic retail bags), add an abundant resource in the 21st century (low-skilled human power), utilize existing infrastructure (industrial textile machinery), and make a recyclable material that meets designers’s need and consumer trends. This is what SLiK is: a nonwoven textile made of 100% post-consumer, polyethylene film with no additional dyes, inks, or adhesives.
SLiK nonwovens are different from other recycled materials as they do not require energy-intensive processes. Traditionally, plastics must be melted down, stripped of colorant, pelletized, reheated, and re-extruded to be recycled. SLiK instead relies on the original energy invested in the plastic to make a recycled material that showcases its origin. Using proprietary yet accessible methods of manufacturing, SLiK capitalizes on underutilized resources without compromising quality or alluring aesthetic.
Submitted By: Karin Carter
From: Portland, Oregon
Contact: karincarter@hotmail.com
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