ナガセケムテックス has developed its proprietary RLR technology to reduce clothing degradation during washing. The company aims to extend the useful life of clothing by treating it as an "asset" rather than a "consumable," with practical applications in linen supply and uniform rental services.
Against a backdrop of the worsening problem of textile waste, the company has developed a new technology that reduces fabric degradation and colour transfer caused by repeated washing. It has adopted an approach that extends the useful life of clothing from the perspectives of reducing global textile waste and promoting resource circulation.
RLR uses a water-based emulsion processing agent to form a film on the surface of fibres, improving durability while preserving the fabric's texture. Its features are said to include reduced stiffness compared with conventional products, completion of the treatment through addition during the final rinse alone, and adhesion even when detergent components remain.
The company has also published the results of its own tests, which showed that the technology can reduce fibre shedding during washing by approximately 93% compared with untreated products by suppressing surface fuzz. It also provides "ease of disassembly," allowing the coating to be removed during recycling, with the aim of addressing recycling challenges in which conventional coating agents had been an obstacle.
The company is currently advancing social implementation while conducting demonstration evaluations, and is also participating in the Ministry of the Environment's "Sustainable Fashion Partner" initiative. It is considering expanding the technology into a broad range of applications, including uniforms and linen for the hotel, healthcare and service industries.