The Lycra Company is launching Coolmax and Thermolite EcoMade fibers made from 100% textile waste as the result of a strategic collaboration with Itochu Corporation, a Japanese-headquartered general trading company with strength in consumer-related sectors, including the textile business.

The new offerings pair the brand equity and performance attributes of these leading cooling and warming brands with new sustainable benefits.

“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.”

A unique depolymerization and refining process is used to convert the textile waste, which consists of scraps from garment manufacturers, into fibres with properties comparable to virgin polyester. The new fibres are available in filament and staple forms, suitable for common textile processes and insulation batting uses.

Coolmax and Thermolite have been made from recycled raw materials such as recycled PET bottles for many years and the company will continue to offer these products in parallel with those made from textile waste.

The new products can be purchased from The Lycra Company, except in Japan where Itochu will be responsible for sales and marketing. A variety of mills have access to the new offerings and will shortly begin to develop fabrics with them.

www.coolmax.com

www.thermolite.com