The Lycra Co., launched of its first performance offerings made from 100 percent textile waste. The company is headquartered near Wilmington and is owned by a China-based textile company.
CoolMax and Thermolite fibers made from textile waste are the result of a collaboration between Lycra Company and Itochu Corporation, a general trading company with holdings in consumer-related sectors, including the textile business.
“We are pleased to announce our alliance with Itochu in helping to address textile waste, which represents a substantial sustainability challenge as the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is sent to landfills or incinerated every second,” said Julien Born, chief commercial officer for The Lycra Company. “This collaboration exemplifies the synergistic approach we have to develop products and technologies that support a more sustainable future for our vast global customer base.” This is the first of several innovations that The LYCRA Company is working on in textile and garment recycling. Laying the groundwork for a more circular future is one of the key objectives of The Lycra Company’s Planet Agenda Sustainability platform.
Integrating textile waste technology with Coolmaxand Thermolitefibers provides consumers with the performance attributes they seek, while making the fibers in a responsible. A unique depolymerization and refining process is used to convert textile waste, which consists of scraps from garment manufacturers, into fibers with properties comparable to virgin polyester.
Coolmax and Thermolitefibers, have been made from recycled raw materials such as recycled PET plastic bottles for many years. The company will continue to offer these products in parallel with those made from textile waste.
Source: https://delawarebusinessnow.com/