The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #005

Out of sight, but no longer out of mind

When searching for your new gym clothes, usually you will look out for the kit with the buzzwords of lightweight and moisture-wicking. The fabric will likely include nylon (PA 6,6)  and polyester. Both are some of the many forms plastic can take. Like all fossil fuel-derived materials, these do not degrade and, at the end of their life, will join the 90 million tonnes of textiles already in landfills. Many brands have an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to this issue, but that has all changed with the Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) coming through the EU legislative train. The requirements under this legislation require manufacturers to consider the entire lifecycle of a product, including the recyclability and remanufacturing of both, the product and any waste materials.  

Lululemon leverages biotech breakthrough

Athletic brand Lululemon has flipped the script and transformed its waste from a burden into an opportunity, with their collaboration with biotechnology company, Samsara Eco. Nylon 6,6, a main component in most sportswear, is made of two molecules, each containing 6 carbons, joined together. Recycling nylon can be done through mechanical or chemical processes. Both processes have associated disadvantages, mechanical recycling impacts the quality of the nylon, whilst the chemical process is energy intensive.

However, Samsara Eco has developed an alternative. An enzyme (a biological catalyst) breaks the bond between the two molecules, which can be done at a lower temperature than chemical recycling and is a process that can be repeated infinitely. This has opened the door to a new circular nylon ecosystem. Lululemon now uses this bio-recycled nylon in their long-sleeved Swiftly top. Both nylon-containing products and manufacturing waste become feedstock for future products, creating the optimal financial and sustainable solution to address the ESPR as well as future carbon reporting legislation. 

Biotech solutions just keep giving

Since the launch of the new nylon bio-recycling process, Lululemon has partnered with Samsara Eco, once again, along with LanzaTech. This time, they have tackled the issue of polyester. Utilising LanzaTech’s carbon capture technology and Samsara Eco’s enzymes that can recycle polyester and nylon, Lululemon has launched its Packable Anorak. Lululemons’ new circular products demonstrate the possibility of scalable biotechnology solutions. A circular route to reducing the use of virgin fossil-fuel-derived materials. By providing an efficient recovery process of both pre and post-consumer waste these collaborations have forged a new path to keep clothes out of landfills. If this can be done with plastic-based materials, imagine the possibilities of the future plastic-free materials.

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