Daniela Bohlinger, head of sustainability for BMW Group Design, recently visited Aquafil CEO Giulio Bonazzi in Ljubljana in Slovenia, where Econyl yarn is produced from recycled fishing nets and other nylon waste.

Compared to petroleum-based nylons, manufacturing Econyl yarn from recycled materials produces up to 90% less global warming potential.

The BMW Group has used Econyl yarn to make its floor and floormats for the BMW i3, BMW iX, and other models since 2016.

“At the BMW Group, we want to lead the automotive industry in the direction of sustainability,” said Bohlinger. “From the very start we consider the entire product lifecycle and increasingly use materials that can be recycled and then used for other purposes. Since Econyl yarn features a wonderful range of colours, it is easy for us to design with. Of course, any product that is made from recycled materials must look flawless and provide outstanding quality.”

Econyl nylon is now one of the most sought-after materials, used by more than 1,000 brands worldwide, including adidas, Breitling, Stella McCartney, Prada and Gucci.

Once the products made from Econyl yarn reach the end of their useful life, they can also be recycled once again and made into other new products.

“You can keep recycling these products as many times as you want,” said Giulio Bonazzi, chairman and CEO of Aquafil. “We truly value our support to leading companies like BMW Group as we work to establish a global circular economy.”

www.econyl.com