Split Jacket

Jackets and coats are complex products which generally prevent any of their parts from being recycled and condemning the whole product to landfill or incineration. This product suggests a way in which we can combine different materials to get the aesthetic and functional qualities we expect from our garments while still allowing the components to return to their optimal recycling stream.

This jacket combines a leather outer-layer with a polyester lining to get the best of two worlds. The leather is made using a non-toxic tanning process which retains its ability to be fully bio-degraded. The polyester is from recycled plastic bottles, and it can further be recycled in thermal or chemical processes. These materials come together in a light way for the duration of the jacket’s life cycle using design for disassembly techniques. At the end of the product’s useful life, the connections can be undone for each component to be recovered. Following the materials inherent qualities and recyclability routes leads to a new aesthetic which respects their nature and place in a circular economy.

• https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/was...