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3M, 3M Thinsulate Featherless, Next-gen down, Alternative down, recycled down, recycled material, recycled textile
3M
Material Name: 

Thinsulate™ Featherless

Biomimicry: 

Down

Main Input: 

Recycled material

Founded: 

1902

HQ: 

United States

TRL: 

5

Founder(s): 

John Dwan, Hermon Cable, Henry Bryan, William A. McGonagle

Website: 

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/thinsulate-us/

About the Company

Since their founding as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company in 1902, 3M (rebranded officially in 2002) has made scientific and technical innovations to launch more than 60,000 products used today in homes, hospitals, schools, and other industries. The original Thinsulate™ Insulation was launched in 1979 and 3M continues to innovate in this space. In 2015, 3M™ Thinsulate™ Featherless Insulation was announced as a kinder alternative to feather down.

Material

3M™ Thinsulate™ Featherless is a loose-fill insulation made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles.

Technology

The technology for using post-consumer plastic can vary somewhat, but in general, used PET bottles are recycled following standard procedures and requirements. The PET flakes are melted and spun into new fibers. These fibers are then used to produce insulation for outerwear, sportswear, and bedding.

Applications

Outerwear, sportswear, accessories, and bedding.

Selected Brand Partnerships

Marmot

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Images: 3M™ Thinsulate™ featherless jackets from Marmot.

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