To celebrate Earth Day, Lululemon has taken another step towards sustainability by launching activewear made from a new plant-based nylon material called Bio-nylon. The Canadian activewear brand has used the new material to two recreate two of its bestsellers: the Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve Shirt and Material Vent Tech Short Sleeve Shirt.
In partnership with sustainable material expert Geno, the companies worked together to replace petroleum-based nylon with a renewable plant-based source.
Geno uses biotechnology and fermentation to convert plant-based ingredients (not disclosed) into widely used chemical building blocks similar to those used to make nylon. The blocks are then converted into pellets and yarns and transformed into a fabric that can be incorporated into Lululemon’s material supply chain.
According to Lululemon, it took two years of research and development to create the material, which delivers “high-performance benefits at a lower carbon footprint”.
“Replacing the petrochemicals that make up many popular materials with more sustainable alternatives is a major step forward in reaching our Impact Agenda goals,” said Patty Stapp, VP of raw materials at Lululemon.
“By transitioning our nylon to renewable content, we will impact over half of the synthetic materials we use in our supply chain.”
The new Bio-nylon range is available online and in Lululemon stores in Singapore.
