Roica V550 degradable elastane yarn by Asahi Kasei
Asahi Kasei Roica V550 is an thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastane yarn that has been engineered to degrade. While the process is slow – around 35% of the yarn breaks down within 270 days – it offers an alternative to conventional synthetic elastane. Although elastane is typically only used in small quantities in garments, around 1-5% in a cotton t-shirt for example, it makes them impractical to recycle and means they can often end up in landfill. Image Asahi Kasei.