Browse WSA 2024 - sportstextiles: Leading sports/outdoors materials gl

Under Armour and Celanese have unveiled a fresh type of stretch fibre that they say could provide a more easily recyclable alternative to elastane – and they are keen for wider industry adoption.

In the wide world of agricultural waste lie many long and strong fibres that can be spun into textile yarns for apparel and accessories.

Cooking oils and fruit stones are among the new raw materials being harnessed to make textile auxiliaries.

Enzymes, microbes and such can develop the ability to break down any substance they find in their close environment, including plastics. They are now being screened and tailored to depolymerise PET plastics, polyester textiles and fabrics made from polyamide.

The Cannes-based show prides itself on offering premium fabrics for the swimwear sector. The longstanding heritage of the exhibitors was reflected in the high-quality and skilful fabric offerings for summer 2025.

Vivobarefoot aims to tackle the vast amounts of footwear waste by creating ‘scan-to-print’, locally made custom shoes that wearers could treasure for longer.

Ambercycle looks to have received a game-changing boost in its bid to begin commercial-scale production of regenerated polyester fibres.

Spiber’s Brewed Protein is the first purely biotech fibre to be developed on a commercial scale. Fellow Japanese company and long-time partner Goldwin has played a crucial role in bringing the innovative fibre to market.

New factories for depolymerising polyester textiles are in the works. Using a variety of ‘advanced’ or molecular recycling processes, they promise to treat textile waste that cannot be mechanically recycled.

A new category of recycled synthetics uses material at risk of ending up in the open sea or recycled from debris fished out of the ocean. These two sources constitute, regrettably, a near unlimited supply.