Lululemon partners ‘infinite’ nylon, polyester recycler
Athletic brand Lululemon has become a minority investor in Samsara Eco, an Australia-based developer of plastic-eating enzymes which can break its nylon and polyester performance wear back down into monomer form for “infinite” textile-to-textile recycling.
The investment is the first of its kind for the company.
“Nylon remains our biggest opportunity to achieve our 2030 sustainable product goals,” commented Lululemon’s vice-president of raw materials innovation, Yogendra Dandapure.
“This partnership demonstrates what’s possible through collective innovation to solve unmet needs. Through Samsara Eco’s patented enzymatic process, we’re advancing transforming apparel waste into high-quality nylon and polyester, which will help us love into our end-to-end vision of circularity.”
Chief supply chain officer, Ted Dagnese, similarly called the tie-up “a foundational step toward a circular ecosystem”. Lululemon launched its first products made from renewably sourced, plant-based nylon in April.
The brand is currently part way through its Power of Three x2 plan, which aims to double net revenue from $6.25 billion in 2021 to $12.5 billion in 2026.
Image: Samsara Eco.
