Insulation has loft and resistance to heat loss with the vertical-lapped construction of Sorona® and Repreve® fibers
The future of business is based in collaboration. Why?
Pull back to look at the big picture of what the apparel industry aims to achieve for success, growth and sustainability long-term. The list includes complex goals to address global impacts for climate change with circularity and material creation all while delivering on increasing expectations for performance and value.
With decades of experience forming successful partnerships, the team at Sorona® understands that collaboration is what drives the most impactful innovations and results that revolutionize textile design.
This spirit of collaboration has created industry firsts and continues to inspire throughout the value chain.
“Our collaborations with other companies allow more apparel brands the opportunity to weave sustainable comfort into their products and achieve the ultimate blend of eco-efficiency and performance. We’re proactively addressing tomorrow’s challenges with partners that value renewably sourced fiber materials without compromising on quality,” says DuPont Biomaterials Global Marketing Director Renee Henze.
The patented, waterless and chemical-free dyeing technology created in collaboration between Sorona® and Dyecoo results in vibrant, eco-friendly color.
Innovation for the Future
Together with Unifi, Inc. and Youngone, Sorona® unveiled a new collection of insulation products that offers soft, dimensionally stable and sustainable options for cold-weather garments.
Leveraging Sorona® renewably sourced fibers and Unifi REPREVE® recycled content, three unique insulation products were created in the ECOLoft™ eco-elite™ insulation collection—the first post-consumer recycled product that also incorporates bio-based materials for innovative, breakthrough insulation.
Ecoloft™ ActiVe SR (35 percent Sorona® + 55 percent REPREVE) features more recycled and renewable content than industry peers, compressibility, soft comfort, and improved vapor and warmth management. It also allows sweat to move away from the body to maintain a best in class next-to-skin microclimate. With a vertical-lapped construction, Sorona® and REPREVE® fibers give the padding resilient loft as well as resistance to heat loss when wet or dry creating garments that feel like they are filled with down but with the added benefit of breathability.
ECOLoft™ AIR SR (60 percent Sorona® + 40 percent REPREVE) offers voluminous natural-down-like synthetic fiberfill for puffer jackets and similar products. Its low cohesion spheres have a high void structure allowing breathability while keeping in warmth, eliminating traditional cold spots with the variety of multi-sized spheres.
ECOLoft™ FLEX SR (60 percent Sorona® + 35 percent REPREVE) maximizes the multi-layering of REPREVE® and Sorona® fibers in the padding web to create a lightweight, warm insulation designed for breathability and movement. With a lower basis weight than its peers, it offers flexibility, stretch and comfort ideal for the casual market.
A dyeing solution enabling fashion designers and brands to deliver high performance clothing and a lesser environmental footprint.
Industry Firsts at Scale
Innovation in dyeing is an area where Sorona® offers unique solutions with its ability to achieve vibrant color at lower temperatures. Now, with its latest collaboration, Sorona® is offering a dyeing option that saves water.
In partnership with the Dutch company DyeCoo, which specializes in the development of cleaner dyeing technologies, the team has patented a sustainable dyeing process for fabrics made from polyester or recycled polyester and Sorona®. These fibers can now be sustainably dyed on an industrial scale with a CO2-based process that does not use chemicals or water. Further, the CO2 used is reclaimed from existing industrial processes, recycling 95% of it in a closed loop system.
Short batch cycles, efficient dye use, no wastewater treatment all contribute to significantly reduced operating costs and the ecological footprint, making this solution extremely appealing for mills, brands and consumers focused on sustainability.
“It’s our hope that more brands will see the value in collaboration and the potential it has to create real solutions to shape the future of our industry,” says Henze.
