Product Sustainability

Explore our sustainable solutions

The LYCRA Company is an industry leader in developing market-relevant sustainable products that address critical needs in the apparel, textile, and personal care industries. Our areas of focus include:

  • Recycled materials
  • Durable fashion
  • Energy and Material conservation
  • Renewable resources

Moving to recycled content

We’re committed to helping the planet by developing fibers and insulations that use recycled content with comparable performance when compared to virgin fibers.

LYCRA® EcoMade fiber

Our first branded spandex partly made with recycled content. This product offers the same unique performance as LYCRA® fiber, but it’s made with pre-consumer manufacturing waste that’s put back into production.

LYCRA® T400® EcoMade technology

Made from 50% recycled PET and 18% renewable plant-based materials, this bi-component polyester fiber provides moderate stretch and excellent shape retention.

COOLMAX® EcoMade technology

Made from 100% textile waste or recycled PET bottles, this fiber delivers cool, dry comfort to a wide variety of end uses.

THERMOLITE® EcoMade technology

Fibers made from 100% textile waste or recycled PET deliver sustainable lightweight warmth to apparel and non-apparel items.

Calculate your contribution

Let's help keep materials in use. To see how many bottles are in your item of clothing, enter the garment weight and percent of recycled COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE® or LYCRA® T400® fiber. 

Results are estimates  based on average sized garments and recycled content for most of The LYCRA Company's products. Actual results may vary.

Go to EcoMade solutions

Calculate

Garment weight

grams

% Recycled fiber in garment

%

Results

Bottles per garment for LYCRA® T400® fiber

Bottles per garment for COOLMAX® or THERMOLITE® fiber

Extending the life of clothing

According to WRAP (Waste and Resource Action Programme), increasing the wear life of clothing by just nine months can reduce carbon, waste, and water footprints by 20-30% each. Brands can increase garment longevity by choosing quality fabrics made with durable fibers that help prevent garment failure. This simple step can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty while strengthening your brand’s reputation. Discover our innovations that meet the consumer’s need for more durable clothing.

LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ technology

Create swimwear that resists damage from chlorine, lotions and UV rays to last up to 10 times longer than fabrics made with unprotected spandex.

LYCRA® FUSION™ technology

Make hosiery resistant to runs (ladders), which can improve garment wear life.

LYCRA® dualFX® technology

We’ve combined two unique stretch fibers to bring long-lasting stretch and shape retention to denim and woven fabrics,  helping jeans and pants maintain their fit.

LYCRA® TOUGH MAX™ technology

Create more durable denim that provides up to twice the strength of 100% cotton fabrics at comparable weight.

LYCRA® BLACK technology

As the industry’s first black spandex, this fiber helps clothes maintain deep, rich tones thanks to spun-in black pigment.

Conserving resources

Several of The LYCRA Company’s innovations pave the way for our customers to conserve resources in their processing. These include:

LYCRA EnviroFit™ fiber

Uses a unique chemistry to reduce fiber content while maintaining performance in personal care products.

LYCRA HyFit® T837 fiber

This fiber used in personal care products offers excellent run performance, which means less energy is used, fewer breaks, less waste, and reduced energy consumption during the production process.

LYCRA® Easy Set technology

Heat set your fabrics at 15-20% lower temperatures than standard elastane and save energy.

Choosing renewable materials

The LYCRA Company is dedicated to using renewable resources where appropriate. In 2014, the company introduced the world’s first bio-derived spandex, with 70% of its content derived from dextrose originating from corn. We are currently assessing demand and production plan for this product. In addition, 18% of LYCRA® T400® EcoMade fiber content is made from plant-based material.

Currently, we are working on a new version of this product in collaboration with Qore®, creator of QIRA® bio-derived BDO. We plan to start commercial production in 2024. Stay tuned for exciting new developments on this product.