Design Preis Schweiz
“Everything happens if you want it to”
The DualCircuit T-Shirt by OceanSafe looks just like an ordinary shirt. But a sophisticated concept lies behind it. So sophisticated in fact that the jury for this year’s Design Prize Switzerland made an award to the startup in the “Circular design” category. Swiss Textiles spoke to the founder, Manuel Schweizer.
Congratulations on the swiss design prize in the circular design category. How did you celebrate?
Thank you so much. It was a wonderful evening. I tried to catch up on my sleep later. But the many favourable reports and congratulations made that rather difficult.
What does the prize mean for your startup, oceansafe?
The prize means two things in particular. The first is the aura and media impact of the prize itself. The second is the partnership with the community service that made the DualCircuit T-Shirt possible. Because the project renders the question as to whether the product is good and of high quality superfluous.
...And for the circular economy in the textile industry?
The prize shows quite clearly that everything works if you really want it to. We can manufacture intelligent products which our grandchildren will reuse as a raw material or nutrient and not just discard.
Explain the concept behind your dualcircuit t-shirt to us.
The T-shirt can be depolymerized. All kinds of microplastics which pass into the water cycle during washing are degraded. What is more, everything used to make the T-shirt is safe for the biological and technical cycle – from the fibre to the process chemicals and on to the dye.
The project makes the question as to whether the product is good and of high quality superfluous.
"I tried to catch up on my sleep later."
The shirt is to be made for the swiss community service from 2024. Might the material also be suitable for everyday wear or in other areas?
Definitely. The Nikin brand sells a T shirt made with our material. Our material has also already been used in the home textile sector. There are for example flame-retardant curtain fabrics which offer impeccable performance – with no ecological downside.
And what are you working on right now? Can you tell us about any new projects?
Innovation is our DNA. We are working on exciting projects all the time. More specifically, we will shortly be able to announce a project in the automotive industry for instance. Here biodegradability and hydrolysis tests have proved especially successful. What is more, our second fibre is due to follow shortly. The first natural fibre substitute made by the melt spinning process. And who knows perhaps we have a big fashion brand in the pipeline …