Next-gen elastane for eco-conscious stretch fabrics
Nowadays it is almost impossible to imagine clothing without stretch. Just 1-2% elastane makes your favorite jeans fit perfectly, with 2-4% elastane in tops you have less creasing and more comfort due to the stretch. Between 10%-20% elastane in your sportswear provide superiror comfort due to its high stretch. From 20% elastane in knits or wovens, we can speak of fabrics for compression clothing, i.e. muscle support = more performance.
The pain point is that elastane blended in material is still difficult to recycle. Actually we may allow 3-4% elastane that does not disrupt the recycling process. At the moment there is little to no infrastructure for the recycling of elastane.
The next generation now allows us the future-forward thinking: Recycled elastane, biobased elastane and even biodegradable elastane.
Recycled elastane brands you may find in „THE LOOP“ are creora® regen by HYOSUNG, ROICA™ EF by AsahiKASEI and LYCRA® EcoMade fiber. The fiber can be produced out of: Pre-consumer spandex manufacturing waste, pre-consumer materials, reclaimed production waste, recycled PET bottles
For biobased elastane check out creora® bio-based by HYOSUNG. Biobased elastane comes from renewable biomass, including plant-based materials and agricultural waste.
Branded biodegradable elastane comes from AsahiKASEI and is called ROICA™ V550. It decomposes into CO2 and Water after degradation and degrades around 50% after 24 months. It was rewarded with a Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Material Health Certificate.
Maybe the new diversity of elastane becomes interesting for your collection concepts, if you go into the storytelling by using materials that provide recycled/ recycled or biobased/ biobased and of course biodegradable/ biodegradable fiber and elastane.
Hyosung HS22-01-0259
HS22-01-0259
Baselayer
83% rec. PES, 17% bio-based spandex
Sustainable Jersey fabric - Made with a blend of Hyosung's GRS-certified, 100% recycled multi-function polyester regen aerolight and Hyosung's SGS-certified, creora(r) bio-based spandex partly made with renewable resources. regen aerolight offers lightweight, quick dry function to the fabric.
IdeaTex Co., Ltd. EN-R344-B
EN-R344-B
Pants & Tights
90% biob.PES, 10% biob.Spandex
The Carbon Capture yarn and biob.Spandex, both of them have lower CO2 emission performance and are also Eco-friendly for the environment, so the fabric made from those yarns can bring the benefit too, and through covering tech has great stretchable performance. And peach finishing brings a smooth and cottony hand feel. It's suitable for casual, outdoor, and workwear.
Hyosung HS23-02-0257
HS23-02-0257
Function Meets Fashion
67% Mo, 28% rec. PES, 5% bio-based spandex
Sustainable Interlock fabric - Made with a blend of Hyosung's GRS-certified, 100% recycled polyester regen and Hyosung's SGS-certified, creora(r) bio-based spandex partly made with renewable resources. creora(r) bio-based contributes a 20% reduction in carbon footprint compared with regular spandex production.
Sidónios Malhas, SA C.230301
MJSJ2SL0000660002
Baselayer
47% WO M, 47% TENCEL™ Ly, 6% Bio-based elastan
Knitted from natural elements: Tencel, merino, and bio-based elastane. This blend ensures a soft, comfortable feel that's gentle on your skin. Ideal for sportswear, it excels as a thermal manager, efficiently wicking moisture and offering natural antibacterial properties. Moreover, it's degradable, underlining our commitment to environmental well-being. Increase your comfort while embracing eco-conscious choices with this future-forward fabric.
Woojoo Global
DNBIO-4034-BIO
Shirts
78% biob.Nylon, 22% Bio-based Spandex
Bio-based materials are new materials made from renewable biomass, including agricultural waste, such as straw, through biological, chemical and physical methods, with the advantages of green, energy-saving, renewable raw materials, and some categories also have good biodegradable properties.
Utenos trikotazas AB
16247SL
Midlayer
48% CO, 4% EA, 48% Soy Protein
Contains a soy protein fiber – an exquisitely soft material known as vegan cashmere. In combination with organic cotton and biodegradable ROICA , the fabric is soft, light and durable. With thermal insulation properties. The outer side of the fabric is slightly brushed, giving a peach-like effect. Fleece unbrushed.
About the Author
Alexa Dehmel
active sports design & consulting
Alexa Dehmel is a performance sports clothing and workwear design expert with over 20 years of experience in the apparel industry. She runs her own design agency in Munich, Germany, has been the curator of functional fabrics for Performance Days and Functional Fabric Fair for over 14 years, and is a guest lecturer and journalist. She strongly believes that the future responsible way is the most valuable way to advise companies in the textile industry.
