Sewing threads producer AMANN has set standards in the field of sustainability and covers both Cradle-to-Cradle cycles.

Every year, approximately 92 million tons of textile waste is generated worldwide (source: Global Fashion Agenda & the Boston Consulting Group 2019). In order to counteract the flood of global textile waste and to live up to its responsibility towards the environment, AMANN Group is developing its Lifecycle product line according to the principle of a consistent and continuous circular economy, also known as Cradle to Cradle (C2C).

Cradle to Cradle is a design principle developed in the 1990s by Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, and William McDonough. C2C describes the potentially infinite circulation of materials and nutrients in cycles. The C2C circular economy is in contrast to the current ‘cradle to grave’ business model, which generates large amounts of waste.

C2C consists of two different cycles: the biological cycle and the technical cycle.

In the biological cycle, textiles become compost or other nutrients after use, which in turn are used to make new products. In this way, old products do not become waste, but ‘nutrients’ for a new product.

Products for the technical cycle are already optimised during the design and development process as resources for the next use phase as new products (raw material homogeneity). After use, textiles can be returned to the manufacturer, who introduces the material into new products for the technical cycle.

AMANN is the first sewing thread manufacturer in the world to offer sewing threads for both cycles with its Lifecycle range.

Lifecycle Polyamide, a sewing thread made from recycled polyamide 6.6, has been specially developed for the technical cycle. It is made from textile waste and has excellent strength and colour fastness properties.

Lifecycle Cotton, the new sewing thread for the biological cycle, is made from extra-long staple, mercerised organic cotton and dyed exclusively with compostable dyes.

In addition to the Lifecycle product line, AMANN also offers sewing threads made from 100 per cent recycled, transparent PET bottles with its Recycled product line. With these two sustainable product lines, AMANN enables its customers to create completely sustainable products. This is another important step towards reducing the consumption of resources.

Learn more about AMANN’s sustainable product range here