Natural Fiber Welding Inc (NFW), a sustainable materials start-up located in the United States, is collaborating with outdoor gear company Patagonia to create and scale circular textile solutions.
The collaboration will strengthen each brand’s commitment to combating the climate catastrophe by reimagining how we acquire, use, and recycle truly circular materials through a shared commitment to developing and scaling circular textile solutions.
Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) has secured Patagonia’s support for its Clarus technology, which uses a closed-loop chemistry process to engineer yarn structures in what it calls “radical” new ways. This allows natural fibres to compete with synthetics on every attribute consumers care about, the firm says. NFW’s Clarus yarns are said to be entirely recyclable and designed for endless circulation.
With Patagonia’s support, NFW says it will “continue to innovate at the intersection of performance and sustainability, creating uncompromising material solutions.”
Sara Hayes, director of materials development of Patagonia, notes the ability to incorporate recycled natural fibres in a textile that is durable and has enhanced performance is a very innovative technology with potential for high impact in the industry.
“NFW’s fibre welding technology enables entirely natural materials to provide synthetic-equivalent performance properties, such as abrasion resistance and moisture management, she adds.
Luke Haverhals, CEO and founder of NFW, says: “When it comes to performance, we’ve learned that nature does it best. We have been able to decisively prove that not only can natural materials perform just as well as synthetics, but unlike plastic-based materials, they can also sustainably scale. That’s why we’re thrilled to collaborate with Patagonia, who has long been a leader in demonstrating both the importance and the power of nature.”
