New biobased Lycra on show at MarediModa
As it plans the future large-scale production of a bio-derived Lycra fibre, The Lycra Company is reaching out to all possible future customers to prepare the shift.
As the official partner of the beachwear and athleisure fabric show, MarediModa, it has a made a strong presence at the show, with a lounge area, a presentation, meeting with the press and show, held at the end of the first day. It was also an opportunity for Carvico and Jersey Lomellina to present their fabrics made from the new bio-derived Lycra yarn.
Alistair Williamson, who heads the European and South Asian markets for The Lycra Company, presented the company’s strategy in developing the new Lycra EcoMade yarn. Its make-up is 70% derived from industrial corn as opposed to “finite fossil fuels,” he said. The company expects to have it commercially available in twelve months time, he told the audience. It is also expected to be available in all of the company’s ranges, including Lycra Xtra Life, Lycra Adaptive, Lycra Black and Lycra Adaptive Black. These are all references that are widely used in beach and active wear.
In a Q&A session with the press, Alistair Williamson was joined by Gary Smith, CEO, and Nicolas Banyols, CCO. The fibre producer expects to be able to switch 20 to 25% of its global production to the bio-derived yarn, which they insisted is a drop-in solution for the industry. “The beauty of Lycra EcoMade is that we can scale and offer a product that doesn’t require any change in processing for mills and offers the exact same performance. No compromise whatsoever,” said Mr Banyols. There is a price difference compared to conventional petrochemical Lycra yarns, but he noted that its additional cost would be “marginal at garment level”. Though oil prices are now low, they are known to be volatile. This would not be the case for industrial corn, said Mr Smith, and the new yarn will offer the industry “consistency and reliability”.
Lycra EcoMade is certified bio-derived by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), backed by ISCC, a traceability standard, and its carbon footprint has been found to be 44% lower than conventional Lycra yarns by a third-party agency. “This will help The Lycra Company reduce its carbon footprint, and for brands, it will contribute to reducing their scope 3 impacts,” noted Mr Williamson, who added that the bio-derived fibre also addresses growing demand from consumers for more sustainable products.
Image courtesy of The Lycra Company
