The Lycra Company has developed its first performance products made from 100 percent textile waste. The Coolmax EcoMade and Thermolite EcoMade are the results of a partnership with Itochu Corp., one of the largest general trading companies in Japan, with strength in consumer-related sectors, including the textile business. The integration of textile waste technology with Coolmax and Thermolite fibers means offering consumers the performance features they seek while making these fibers in a new and responsible way, the company said. Textile waste, which consists of scraps from garment manufacturers, is converted into fibers with properties comparable to virgin polyester through a depolymerization and refining process. The new fibers come in filament and staple forms, suitable for usual textile processes and insulations batting uses. The Coolmax and Thermolite fibers, made from recycled raw materials such as recycled PET bottles, will continue to be marketed alongside the new offerings made from textile waste. The new Coolmax EcoMade and Thermolite EcoMade can be purchased from The Lycra Company, except in Japan, where Itochu will be responsible for sales and marketing.

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