An increased uptake of lower-impact and ‘next-gen’ fibres will be necessary to counter the increase in virgin polyester, say exhibitors at the Future Fabrics Expo. They hope incoming regulation will create the ‘stick’ needed to support the investments they have already made.

Billing itself as a responsible sourcing platform rather than a traditional trade show, London’s Future Fabrics Expo aims to be at the forefront of the ‘next-generation materials’ conversation, creating a home for fibres, dyes and finishes with a lower footprint than conventional cotton or virgin synthetics. A combination of big established suppliers, smaller companies seeking investment or increased orders, start-ups and lab-stage novelties presented their recycled, biobased, lower impact and waste-using offerings to the 2,000 visitors to the event. 

Higher take-up of lower-impact materials will be needed, otherwise growth in virgin polyester might “outstrip” the progress being made, say some exhibitors. Polyester makes up 59% of total global fibre output, according to Textile Exchange’s latest report [although the report does cover home textiles, footwear and technical applications as well as clothing]. Total global fibre production increased from 125 million tonnes in 2023 to 132 million tonnes in 2024 and has more than doubled since 2000. It now equates to around four tonnes of fibre produced every second. In context, this means virgin polyester grew from 71 million tonnes in 2023 to 78 million tonnes in 2024.

Underpinning some of the interest in ‘next-gen’ materials are incoming regulations, with show organisers crediting these for its growth and the attendance of high-level executives from brands and retailers. At the start of September, the European Council signed into law the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which means producers will be financially responsible for their textiles at end of life. Each of the EU states will have its own EPR scheme within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force and they must also address “ultra-fast and fast fashion practices” when deciding on financial contributions to their schemes. 

Multitasking cellulose

Austrian cellulosic specialist Lenzing launched ‘plastic-free elastics’ in collaboration with German brand Charle at the show: the Tencel Lyocell, Tencel Luxe filament yarn and natural rubber combination making them biodegradable. The attendance of decision-makers, as well as like-minded exhibitors, makes the show a good fit for the company, says Ashley Hammond, its senior business development manager for the UK and Ireland. “A lot of our discussions with retailers and brands are with their sustainability teams, but it seems they also often have the same challenges within their companies to encourage the use of more sustainable materials that also offer better end-of-life possibilities. Ultimately, decisions still come from the top, and all companies will have to react to the EPR, meaning that more sustainable choices will be needed to avoid penalty.”

The company was also a supplier in several footwear debuts – a sector it is making inroads into, even if their fibres are normally associated with softness or next-to-skin comfort in textiles. French brand Circle Sportswear worked with Lenzing for its first shoe, the Supernatural Runner, made with 50% Tencel Luxe filament and 50% wool in the upper. It also includes a midsole that is 45% castor bean-based, and a biobased polymer outsole.

Launching the Solk Fade 101, company founder David Solk explained he spent six years on the research and development process to create a shoe in which every material is “compost compatible”. The upper is a chrome- and metal-free leather, the outsole is natural rubber, the lining is a blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres, while the laces and webbings have been made from Tencel wood pulp. At the end of life, the shoes will be sent to a company-owned composting facility in Germany, where they will be mixed with food waste and other materials to create a fertiliser.

Modern Synthesis introduced the concept Korvaa shoe, made from five “biologically derived” fibre inputs. The upper is made from nanocellulose, a natural compound produced by microbes, combined with a 100% cotton substrate. The midsole is 3D printed by Ourobio using PHA, a bio-based biodegradable polymer produced by bacteria. The sole is made by Ecocative from mycelium, the root-like system of fungi, and Lenzing's lyocell is used to provide structure. Nicole Schram, business development manager at Lenzing, pointed out that as well as being used for uppers, linings, reinforcements and laces, its cellulosic products can also be used in powder form and added to outsoles.

T2T talk

ISKO Denim’s sister company RE&UP, which separates polyester and cotton in end-of-life garments, hosted a breakfast session titled 'Yesterday’s garments, today’s raw materials – what’s holding us back?' Moderated by senior PR and marketing manager Keith O’Brien, the panel featured Nienke Steen from Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Priyanka Khanna from Fashion for Good. Bestseller-owned brand Only has recently introduced a line of 100,000 t-shirts produced using RE&UP’s ‘next-gen polyester’.

“Biobased spandex and textile-to-textile recycling are top of mind for visitors,” Hyosung’s Claire O’Neill tells us. The “Using end-of-life garments that were destined for landfill is a great advancement.” The company is scaling its partially biobased elastane, using sugar cane as an ingredient, and is collaborating with fellow exhibitor Ambercycle, spinning its chips into recycled polyester. It has also partnered Canadian company Loop Industries to scale its textile-to-textile polyester. “Collaboration is the holy grail and it’s only by working together that we can progress at pace,” she adds.

Insulation provider Thermore presented its 100% recycled PET insulation offering EcoDown Fibers Sync, which has a “cloud-like hand-feel” and resists clumping. The show is a good fit for the company because it attracts both outdoor and fashion buyers, sales supervisor Andrea Ingrosso tells us. “We need to work together to fit all the pieces of the puzzle,” he adds. “We need to accelerate these [sustainable] changes, and we are seeing many promising developments.”

Funding structures

Circulose announced retailers Mango and H&M Group as the first ‘scaling partners’ in a new funding structure. The Swedish company, formerly known as Renewcell, has set up a licensing programme for the MMCF made from textile waste, designed to reduce “pricing friction” and encourage wider-scale adoption, as opposed to limited capsule collections. The licence, created with support from Fashion for Good and Canopy, is based on an “innovative pricing model” and covers various additional services to assist brands in transition planning, supply chain orchestration and traceability. 

These kinds of funding structures will be necessary to boost start-ups through scale-up until they can reach the volumes to be cost competitive, it is thought. As well as being addressed in several seminars, investors discussed how they could support the innovators during a private meeting. There appears to be a slight gap in funding to push start-ups from proof-of-concept to commercial-scale facility, Riley Marchant, a venture capital investment associate at PDS Ventures, tells us. PDS Ventures is the $50 million corporate venture arm of the PDS Group, investing in early-stage start-ups across the fashion and retail value chain, including regenerative cotton and tech company Materra and biobased black pigment producer Nature Coatings. Its subsidiary, Positive Materials, offers R&D services and technical support to accelerate growth. “A big part of the investor conversations was how EU regulations are going to impact sourcing decisions,” says Mr Marchant. “There has been recent talk that the 2027/28 timeline is probably unrealistic, there’s a possibility it may be pushed back, but I think it is vital to push brands to ask questions of their purchasing decisions. Some will do it themselves, because they see the value in it and they know that this regulation will come eventually, but for there to be a wider systemic change, the regulation is going to be really important.”

Waste not, want not

Using waste as a feedstock was again a big topic, with Shay Sethi  from Ambercycle and Kenji Higashi of Spiber discussing business models. Spiber uses proteins, mainly from sugar cane close to its production facility in Thailand, to “brew” its material, but could one day pivot to using textiles waste as a feedstock. 

Many of the solutions were also rooted by nature. A South China-dwelling spider that makes four metre webs and is capable of eating snakes was the inspiration for a fibre that can provide skin-friendly properties. Chinese synthetic biotechnology company Link Spider studies the DNA of insects and animals, and can replicate them into proteins that can be embedded into yarns. The company spent more than two years working at lab level but has now scaled up to include protein production and fibre extrusion, and it works with local yarn and fabric mills. “We have to learn from nature,” co-founder Suzan Liang tells Sportstexiles. “We synthesise the DNA into microbeads to replicate desirable properties and they are then easy to scale up. We have a big bank of proteins that we can embed into cellulose, meaning the price comes down and they are affordable.” InkCell, based on squid, provides UVP 50+ protection, while MiteZero, based on predatory mites, repels against bedbugs and insects. 

The Biomimicry Institute’s Amanda Sturgeon updated the audience on a programme with the OR Foundation and Laudes Foundation to validate how bacteria could be added to waste textiles that have no value, to help break them down as an alternative to incineration. UK Fashion and Textile Association’s Lauren Junestrand gave an update on a multiyear programme looking at the gaps in the UK’s textiles recycling infrastructure, with pilots including one with jeans refinishing and education hub LaundRe. Through the Circular Fashion Innovation Network, the idea is that this will result in a blueprint that could be applied to several ‘apparel park’-style set-ups that could be established around the country.

Overall, the mood at the show seemed inquisitive and remained hopeful, despite the usual discussions of uptake. The year has already been marked by challenges, not least as supply chains grapple with changing and often damaging tariff regimes. Hard, perhaps, to see how more money can be released for innovation when trying to navigate holes in the short term. “Even though we’re moving ahead quickly, there are still many brands and retailers that are just starting their journey towards more sustainable materials,” adds Claire O’Neill. “There have been so many changes in the last few months, not just tariffs but also the rising cost of living, so that also affects how confident buyers feel about committing to innovations that may put pressure on margins.”

The numbers do show some progress: recycled polyester production increased from 8.9 million tonnes in 2023 to 9.3 million tonnes in 2024, and the Textile Exchange said of the 423 brands and retailers in its report, the majority are actively replacing conventional materials with those from certified sources and reducing their use of virgin fossil-based polyester. “Besides the doom and gloom, there is a lot of exciting stuff around and we’re happy to be a part of it,” adds Ms O’Neill.

The Korvaa shoe, made with a bacterial nanocellulose-based textile, replaces 30+ components with five bio-based materials.
Credit: Korvaa Consortium

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