Partners turn CO2 emissions into a cycling jersey
Cycling apparel brand Santini has launched a new jersey, the Aero Race, constructed from Polartec Power Dry fabric.
The partners, who worked together on this project, have described the jersey as the first cycling garment “to transform CO2 emissions into aerodynamic performance”. The basis of the claim is that Power Dry uses yarns developed using carbon-capture technology to intercept industrial CO2 emissions before their release into the atmosphere and convert them into recycled polyester.
These yarns have 91% recycled carbon content, Polartec has said.
What results from this is a fabric that weighs 128 grammes per square-metre with high levels of breathability and thermoregulation during high-output activities.
Compared to an equivalent garment constructed from virgin polyester, the partners claim that the Aero Race will have a carbon footprint that is up to 66% lower.
Santini will be the only cycling brand in Europe and North America to use the fabric. Its creative director, Fergus Niland, said the Aero Race had been built for cyclists, tested by professionals to make sure the levels of performance and comfort it offers are high enough.
In addition, he said the jersey represented “a new standard in responsibility”.
Polartec’s senior vice-president for apparel innovation, Ramesh Kesh, said that being able to transform captured carbon into performance-driven fabrics showed the company’s ability to “reimagine materials”.
