The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fiber and technology solutions for the textile and apparel industry, announced today it has introduced THERMOLITE® EcoMade fiber made from 100% textile waste, now for insulation applications. The new fiber for battings is the latest sustainable offering from one of the most recognized warming technology brands among consumers worldwide.
This new warming technology involves recycling textile waste from cutting room floors that would have been sent to a landfill or incinerated, and transforming it into high-performance fibers for insulation. Once fabric scraps are collected from garment makers, they go through a four-step process before becoming a finished product: 1) depolymerization and refining 2) chip manufacturer 3) fiber formation, and 4) batting and insulation production.
“Our new textile waste fiber can be used in unique batting constructions to deliver outstanding warming performance infused with unparalleled sustainable attributes,” said Arnaud Ruffin, vice president, brands and retail at The LYCRA Company. “We are initially promoting the fiber in two versions of insulation—both thin-loft and mid-loft battings, each made with ≥ 85% of recycled fibers, including ≥ 50% THERMOLITE® fiber made from recycled PET bottles and ≥ 35% made from the new textile waste product. Both batting offerings deliver durability and outstanding levels of performance combined with unmatched sustainability credentials for the outdoor industry, while warmth per unit weight and other insulation characteristics meet the industry’s highest expectations.”
By using textile waste as an input to make commercial performance fibers, The LYCRA Company is providing a solution to help the industry deal with its textile waste problem, as well as creating a starting point for circularity.
