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Sustainable Materials

01

“From 16 PET bottles to a Bag”



Recycling discarded PET plastic domestically

Plastics like PET bottles take over 100 years to decompose. While it's best to avoid creating plastic whenever possible, it's also our responsibility to recycle used plastics and prolong their usage as much as we can. We contribute to reducing carbon emissions and landfill waste drastically by utilizing recycled PET yarn, thus conserving petroleum resources.

Application of Various Materials

We took the lead in efforts to develop recycled materials and contributes to ensuring a more circular flow in the entire recycling process.

Polyester yarn recycled from PET bottles collected in Jeju, Seoul, and Busan regions, in collaboration with Hyosung TNC, along with our commitment to recycling domestic waste. Approximately 143 PET bottles can be recycled to produce one cone of yarn, resulting in significant savings in petroleum resources, reduction of industrial wastewater, and omission of carbon emissions. This not only helps to conserve resources but also reduces the costs associated with air pollution.
Yarn made from regenerated nylon extracted from discarded fishing nets. Welaunched the "WFN (Wasted Fishing Nets)” edition by recycling nylon yarn made from nylon extracted from discarded fishing nets found in the South Sea. Succeeding in making bags from recycled fishing nets following the recycling of PET bottles, we are committed to further developing and commercializing various eco-friendly materials in the future.
Introducing the world's first commercially available recycled spandex. With the ability to be set at lower temperatures and a faster setting speed compared to conventional spandex, this eco-friendly material saves carbon emissions and energy due to its streamlined process. Known for its excellent tension and high elasticity, it minimizes stretching when items are placed in and quickly returns to its original state when items are removed.
An eco-friendly spandex made by blending corn extract with conventional spandex materials. Developed to reduce the use of fossil fuel-based materials by utilizing renewable resources from nature, it offers the same high elasticity and recovery as regular spandex, providing comfortable wear.
Recycled yarn made from melted down discarded clothes and fabrics. We produced yarns that are then used to create clothing and bedding products from recycled textiles. We successfully achieved single-material recycling, where discarded garments and textiles are transformed back into clothing and have applied this process to some of our products. Now, we are conducting tests on recycling composite materials.
We have implemented a method where yarn is dyed during production, eliminating the need for a separate dyeing process. This helps reduce water consumption and environmental pollution associated with conventional dyeing methods. Assuming the water consumption during conventional fabric dyeing is 1 unit, our previous yarns reduced water usage by 25%, while the yarns produced using the dope dyeing method achieved a 100% reduction in water usage.

02

Low-Carbon
Production Methods


We adopted methods to reduce carbon emissions and minimize waste in all production processes. Despite the rigorous production conditions, we believe that authenticity can only be demonstrated through this process. Our sincerity will be conveyed through conscientious standards.

1. Domestic production
All processes involving the recycling of collected waste for production are carried out domestically. With the exception of some production for export, we adhere to the principle of domestic collection, production, and sales. This is to minimize carbon emissions generated during transportation at each stage of production.
2. Whole Garment Production Method
All our bags are crafted using advanced knitting techniques. Instead of cutting and sewing woven fabrics, each bag is individually shaped and knitted, thus eliminating the generation of fabric scraps from cutting.
3. Minimal Packaging
To minimize environmental impact, we pay meticulous attention to product packaging. We strive to reduce over-packaging and packaging waste by minimizing the use of poly bags, separate cushioning materials, printing inks, and the like.

03

Innovative Design


Our knitted pleats bag is a unique design developed, registered, and patented with the Korean Intellectual Property Office as the first of its kind in Korea. The repetitive sculptural design of pleats creates a more unique and charming atmosphere while also offering the convenience for storage, easy as paper folding.

The distinctive pleats design is structurally composed of fabric knitting rather than artificially induced pleats through high-temperature treatment or chemical processing. As a result, it maintains its original pleat shape over time and even after washing.
PLMA-LAB™ is a development lab dedicated to efforts in developing and commercializing actual products. It is one of the very few places domestically equipped with knitting technology and developing in-house. The combination of an experimental spirit to explore new ideas and the delicate skills of developers results in the creation of meaningful products with new uses. We constantly strive to explore ways to be more environmentally friendly and to find ways to make products more convenient and aesthetically pleasing.

04

Campaign

The goal of recycling domestic waste is not solely to reduce landfill in the country; it goes beyond that. It aims to raise awareness of environmental issues within local communities, influencing consumer perceptions and behaviors. Moreover, it can encourage the participation of government, businesses, and organizations in promoting resource circulation. Ultimately, our objective is to establish an eco-friendly ecosystem that connects producers to consumers, and for this, campaigns to spread the message are essential.

This is a local-based recycling project that collects PET bottles from specific regions, transforms them into recycled yarn, and incorporates the identity of each region into the final products. The project has been implemented in Jeju, Seoul, and Busan, respectively. We plan to expand this campaign beyond domestic borders to regions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, recycling waste generated in those areas locally promoting sustainability and supporting local economies.
The Ocean Campaign aims to recycle discarded plastic and wasted fishing nets in the ocean and further prevent plastic waste from being dumped into the sea.
The inaugural "Clean Sea" project (2020) was PLEATSMAMAs first step towards protecting the ocean. Through partnerships with Hyosung TNC and the Yeosu-Gwangyang Port Authority, we signed an MOU to collect marine plastic waste generated from ships departing from ports, establishing a meaningful resource circulation system in Korea. Through this project, we successfully commercialized "Regen Ocean" yarn, made from recycled Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP).
Beneath the pristine waters lie abandoned fishing nets, harming marine ecosystems. Known as Ghost Nets, these wasted nets are often invisible in the dark and can entangle coral reefs or float on the surface, ensnaring various marine creatures and leading them to suffocate as they mistake them for prey. We continued our efforts by collecting wasted fishing nets in the waters of the southern coast of Korea,. Through this initiative, we launched the "WFN (Wasted Fishing Nets) Edition" in 2022, utilizing nylon thread made from these nets.
Our commitment to preserving our source of life, the beautiful ocean, remains unwavering at PLEATSMAMA.

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