[pageLogInLogOut]

#Textile processing

YKK receives ISPO Textrends Awards for circular innovations

YKK’s 3D Composite Puller named best product in Accessories category; NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ with Recycled PET Open Parts earns top 5 spot

© 2025 YKK
YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) is pleased to announce that the ISPO Textrends judges have selected YKK's 3D Composite Puller as the Best Product in the Accessories category. They also selected YKK’s NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ zipper with Recycled PET Open Parts as a Top 5 item in the same category. The competition, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO trade show, recognizes the most innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.

Overview of Award-Winning Products

■ Best Product: 3D Composite Puller

The 3D Composite Puller combines YKK’s expertise in zipper technology with Variloom’s on-demand 3D printing and molding system. Utilizing Variloom’s recyclable bio-based TPU and 3D printing process, this product eliminates traditional molding requirements and the constraints of high minimum order quantities (MOQs). It enables customization of shape,

texture, attachment style, color, and logo—features that are difficult to achieve with conventional injection molding—offering brands and designers new possibilities in both functionality and aesthetics.

■ Top 5 Award: NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ with Recycled PET Open Parts

NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ zipper is made using recycled PET from discarded clothing and textile waste—integrated into both the tape and the elements. Designed with circularity in mind, it utilizes a mono-material construction, with all components of the chain, including the Open Parts, made from recycled PET derived from fiber. 

To deliver exceptional durability and long-lasting performance, the slider is crafted from recycled zinc. This choice reflects the core principles of circularity—longevity and durability—while ensuring the material can be easily separated during garment preprocessing for future reuse. 

© 2025 YKK
© 2025 YKK


By utilizing recycled PET from textiles, NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ with Recycled PET Open Parts helps reduce environmental impact while supporting the emerging textile-to-textile ecosystem. With less than 1% of all clothing globally recycled into new garments, NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ with Recycled PET Open Parts represents YKK’s commitment to textile-to-textile recycling and the realization of a circular society.

Terry Tsukumo, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corporation, comments: "Receiving these ISPO Textrends Awards underscores YKK’s commitment to innovation. We continue to push boundaries by developing products that not only advance performance but also address the environmental challenges facing the textile industry.”

Product Details: 

NATULON® Fiber Sourced™ | YKK DIGITAL SHOWROOM


NATULON Plus® with Recycled PET Open Parts | YKK DIGITAL SHOWROOM




Both products are concept items exhibited for the ISPO Textrends Award and are currently under development, with no specific timeline for commercialization determined at this time.




More News from YKK

#Textile processing

YKK launches no. 3 size of QuickFree® click-TRAK® magnetic zipper globally

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has begun the global rollout of the No. 3 size of its QuickFree® click-TRAK® Magnetic zipper, expanding availability beyond China for the first time. While maintaining the same functionality and ease of operation, the No. 3 size is approximately 60% the size of the No. 5 size *1. This enables applications in lightweight garments, sportswear, hooded apparel, and other similar uses.

#Textile processing

YKK develops concept EXCELLA® zipper tape using nonwoven fabric partially derived from used clothing

YKK Corporation has developed a concept version of its premium EXCELLA® zipper series made from nonwoven fabric sheets created by fiberizing used clothing and other textile materials. Based on a proposal by fashion designer Yuima Nakazato, this item was created as a result of collaboration between Nakazato, Seiko Epson Corporation and YKK. The concept zipper was incorporated as a material component for pieces in the newest YUIMA NAKAZATO Couture Collection, “INFERNO,” which was unveiled in Paris, France on July 8, 2026.

#Textile processing

YKK invests USD 150 million in new manufacturing facility in India

YKK Corporation has announced plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in India, reinforcing its long-term commitment to one of the world's fastest-growing textile and apparel production hubs. The new factory will be built at Origins by Mahindra in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and will become the third manufacturing site of YKK India Private Limited. The facility is expected to be completed by February 2028 and represents an investment of approximately USD 150 million, covering land, buildings, machinery and equipment.

#Textile processing

YKK joins ZDHC as a Signatory Supplier, strengthening commitment to eliminating hazardous chemicals

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has joined ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) as a Signatory Supplier as of May 2026.

More News on Textile processing

#Textile processing

Lectra strengthens its partnership with Caron Technology

Lectra announces the strengthening of its industrial alliance with Caron Technology, an Italian company founded in 1993 and specializing in preparation systems operating before the cutting process. This new milestone reflects the strength of a trusted relationship that has grown between the two companies over nearly two decades.

#Textile chemistry

Fashion for Good launches DW(O)R-X to navigate the emerging landscape of PFAS-free finishes

Fashion for Good announced the launch of Project DW(O)R-X, a collaborative initiative designed to benchmark PFAS alternative durable water- and oil-repellent (DW(O)R) chemistries. Responding to growing market demand for alternatives to PFAS‑based finishes, the project aims to generate reliable, comparable data that can support informed sourcing decisions and the assessment of emerging chemistries.

#Textile processing

Dedicated car seat model of SHIMA SEIKI’s P-CAM® R Cutting Machine unveiled

Leading Japanese textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, showed a special version of its P-CAM® R multi-ply computerized cutting machine dedicated to the production of car seats for the first time, at a private exhibition held over two days on Thursday, July 2nd and Friday, July 3rd at the Kariya City Industrial Promotion Center in Aichi Prefecture.

#Textile processing

Pathfinder expands into Mexico to support growth across Latin America

Pathfinder Australia Pty Ltd, a global manufacturer of advanced cutting room technology for the textile and related industries, today announced the launch of Tecnología de Corte Pathfinder, S. de R.L. de C.V., its new Mexico-based subsidiary.

Latest News

#Nonwovens

25 years in the room: EDANA’s OUTLOOK™ returns to Cascais to shape a changing industry

The market does not wait, and it does not grant easy answers. Across the absorbent hygiene, personal care, and wipes sectors, business is undergoing a period of intense, necessary adjustment. New European rules on packaging, single-use items, product safety, and end-of-life are forcing companies to drop old assumptions about materials and performance. At the same time, producers must keep their goods safe, reliable, and affordable for the babies and aging adults, who rely on them every day.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Recover™ names Enes Adak and Fehmi Yüksel as Co-CEOs to accelerate its next growth phase

Recover™, a leading materials science company and global producer of consistent high-quality, recycled cotton fibers and circular material solutions at scale, today announced the appointment of Enes Adak and Fehmi Yüksel as Co-Chief Executive Officers. This leadership transition marks an important step in Recover’s evolution as the company enters its next stage of development.

#Research & Development

ADD-ITC 2026 highlights strong industry participation

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) 2026 will place a strong focus on the exchange between textile research and industry when it takes place on November 26–27, 2026, at the International Congress Center Dresden. According to the preliminary conference program, more than two-thirds of all presentations will be contributed by companies or jointly presented by industry and research institutions.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Arc'teryx introduces System 0™, a new framework for the future of product design and circularity

Arc'teryx Equipment, the global design company specializing in technical high-performance apparel and equipment, today introduced System 0™, a new framework that reimagines how products can be designed, manufactured, used, repaired, and ultimately regenerated. System 0 represents the next evolution for sustainability in the outdoor industry, as it embeds circular thinking across an entire product lifecycle while maintaining the uncompromising performance standards that define the Arc’teryx brand.

TOP