Samsara Eco, lululemon debut first-ever infinitely recycled nylon
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The news: Sydney environment tech startup Samsara Eco said it has debuted the world's first infinitely recycled product made from nylon 6,6, in partnership with athletic clothes brand lululemon.
The numbers: Samsara Eco launched in 2020 in partnership with the Australian National University, and raised $56 million in a Series A funding round in 2022. Last year the startup announced a multi-year partnership with lululemon to advance the Nasdaq-listed retailer's goal to make 100% of products with end-of-use solutions by 2030.
The context: Samsara Eco, a startup that primarily uses plastic-eating enzymes to produce recycled packaging, has worked with lululemon to develop a new technology that makes it possible to extract nylon 6,6 from end-of-life stage textiles and create a fully circular ecosystem for apparel. The company said that with roughly four million tonnes of nylon 6,6 created per year, it’s one of the most commonly used plastics in the textile industry.
Nylon 6,6 has been notoriously difficult to recycle and because of its tough, heavy-duty properties has been used in a breadth of industries like fashion, automotive and electronics.
Using its library of plastic-eating enzymes, Samsara Eco said its manufacturing process is completed within hours and at a low temperature, to create a product that is more sustainable.
Lululemon has created samples of its Swiftly Tech Long-Sleeve Top using recycled nylon 6,6 made with Samsara Eco’s technology, representing the first time this type of nylon has been recycled in this way.
What they said: Samsara Eco CEO Paul Riley said: "Until now, textile-to-textile nylon 6,6 has been unrecyclable. The samples we have created with lululemon represent a world-first breakthrough for the future of textile waste. Our work with lululemon shows the potential to give clothes an infinite life".
VP for raw materials innovation at lululemon, Yogendra Dandapure, said: "The lululemon Swiftly top samples go beyond material innovation — they represent the exciting possibilities and impact that can be achieved through collaboration and cross-industry partnership".
"This breakthrough not only signals a turning point for sustainable innovation in apparel but for all industries looking to shift towards more circular models. We look forward to continuing to work with Samsara Eco to help scale this new technology in the months and years ahead."
The source: Samsara Eco media release
