85568Developing biodegradable sequinsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe global market of sequins apparel is around 12.3 billion USD in 2020 and is expected to reach 19.5billion USD by the end of 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.7% during 2021-2026\. However, most of these glittering sequins are made from non-degradable, fossil fuel based synthetic plastics such as polyester and polyamide. In the UK, Research by Oxfam found 1.7 million sequined items of clothing will end up in UK landfill after Christmas, and those synthetic sequins have been one of the major fashion components hindering the recycling of fashion products. In this new era following the global coronavirus pandemic, few consumers think the fashion sector should go back to business as usual and most of them want to see the fashion sector doing whatever it takes to become environmentally sustainable. This project is timely for fashion industry to rebuild, reimage and renew its supply chains in a more authentically sustainable manner. The Sustainable Sequin Company (TSSC), which was founded with the aim to bring sustainable embellishments to the UK fashion industry and currently provides 20% recycled PET sequins to international fashion brands and individual designers, will work with the University of Leeds (UoL), to create commercially viable, durable and biodegradable bioplastic sequins to reduce the environmental impacts associated with synthetic sequins. We intend to establish a sustainable value chain, which borrows renewable biomaterials from the biological carbon cycle to allow the creation of low-impact, compostable, UK made sequins. A new biodegradable bioplastic film will be synthesised, formulated and prototyped, originated from either plant-based polymers or municipal waste sources. Its properties will be improved to achieve targeted performances required by sequins. A UK bioplastic film production supply chain, including key UK plastic film manufactures, will be established ready for large-scale production of environmentally friendly sequins which are both functional and durable in cyclic washing/laundry processes.