Coat of Many Colors

I'm an Industrial Design grad student and skydiving instructor. My project addresses APCO Aviation, an Israeli parachute maker producing 2,000 parachutes annually, with 15% material waste (15,000 sqm fabric). I propose a circular design model using a fabric shredding machine to repurpose waste, creating a new product line matched to the waste size. Shredding also optimizes remnants during laser cutting. Larger fabric pieces become 120 cm-wide fabric for coat patterns, and smaller ones are shredded into insulation. Preserving original colors post-shredding offers design flexibility. These coats serve fashion and research, maximizing APCO's raw material. The model can expand to various products, promoting sustainability. At the end of each product's lifecycle, they can be shredded and reused as filling, creating an endless cycle of innovation and renewal.