Do you remember: in this article, we told you about the K-loop project, initiated by Matteo Borri. What were the ambitions behind this project? To promote the circular economy by reusing fabric scraps, combined with recycled materials, while providing maximum transparency throughout the production process.

Mission accomplished at Kimood (a KARIBAN BRANDS brand), with the KI5808 “K-loop Project” tote bag! Of course, we couldn’t stop there…

As a result, the K-loop project has expanded to 2 new collections at K-Up, the Kariban Brands Group headwear brand, and Kimood.

From today, you can find the products from the K-loop collection and those from the K-loop Tracking collection on the TopTex website, offering plenty of arguments when it comes to convincing you to opt for customisable accessories that really are sustainable! Shall we show you?

Focus on one of the pillars of the K-loop project: textile tracers

What was particularly important when Kariban Brands came up with the K-loop project? Transparency and reliability at every stage of production.

Customers, partners and end consumers had to have access to clear and safe information about the materials and production process of the items across the chain. And to collect, store and allow access to this data safely, technology has become the ideal solution.

For this reason, Kariban Brands chose Aware™, a Dutch start-up that combines effective technological components (trackers) with the safest and most neutral storage solution today (blockchain).

Aware™ provides tracers (simple ceramic microparticles) that are injected into recycled fibres, which will be used to make the finished product (in the case of K-loop, cotton scraps and polyester from recyclable plastic bottles).

Thanks to these tracers, the identity of the fibre used is duplicated in a digital version (called NFT) and all the information in this digital jar is then encrypted to become unalterable before being stored securely. In fact, this storage is done in the most reliable database around: the famous blockchain, technology that allows you to keep information without any possibility of modification.

And there we are, the manufacturing process of the product can start: at each stage, the tracer content is monitored and the data can be viewed at the end.

Why? To prove that the original recycled fibres, used at the time of manufacture, are the same in the finished product. Accessing the information is easy and possible for any user who owns a smartphone – you simply scan a product’s QR code to view the certifications.

Kariban Brands saw Aware™ as an innovative and honest integrity solution, able to provide the guarantee of real and verifiable initiatives. The group wanted to strengthen this great partnership, using the technology for other products.

K-loop Tracking Collection: 100% authentic, 100% Polylana®

It’s the turn of K-Up, the headwear specialist in the Kariban Brands Group, to join the K-loop adventure. The products in question are those of the K-loop Tracking collection, which is based on three fundamentals: Aware™ tracers, blockchain storage and Polylana® yarn.

This innovative, high-quality yarn is made from 50% recycled polyester and 50% polyester, and above all, it is certified Impact Aware™. The tracers mentioned above are directly integrated into Polylana® fibres and, once again, are a guarantee of integrity and a high level of transparency in the manufacturing process of the K-loop project.

For example, the KP951 double-turn-up beanie by K-Up is made from Polylana® yarn, the production of which consumes much less energy and water and generates fewer CO2 emissions than standard acrylic yarn.

In short, it offers reduced environmental impact and a warm material, as soft and pleasant as wool!

Pair it with K-Up’s KP957 ribbed knit scarf, available in three colours and also made from 60% Polylana® yarn.

K-loop collection: recovery, recycling and transparency

The first addition to the K-loop project family, the KI5808 tote bag has paved the way for new styles, especially in the Kimood luggage category.

And for these new items, the agenda is the same: limited waste, recycled materials and recovery!

Kariban Brands cotton scraps are recovered, sorted by colour if possible, then crushed. To reinforce these fibres, we add recycled polyester (from plastic bottles), then the famous Aware™ tracers for transparency. This creates fibres that are ready to be woven (for a second time!).

Back to K-Up for an environmentally responsible headwear piece by K-loop, made of the same famous recycled and traceable fibres: the KP227 hat. A neutral and timeless basic!

In both K-loop and K-loop Tracking, the goal of this K-Loop initiative remains the same: to recover and give new life to Kariban cotton (biological wherever possible) instead of throwing it away, to convert PET bottles into recycled polyester fibres, or to use Polylana® yarn.

But the real key argument for this project is the guarantee of authenticity that allows the use of tracers.

For Kariban Brands it is also important to implement optimisations on manufacturing processes that inform and integrate end-product users honestly.

If you want to read about the start of the K-loop story, it’s here. If you want to keep up to date, all you need to do is read our blog regularly: the K-loop project lives and evolves, and the methods now being tested and validated will soon be deployed for new styles.

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