Samsara Echo, an Australian company that uses enzyme-based technology to recycle plastics, textiles and other materials infinitely, has reached a major collaboration agreement with Lululemon. The deal sees Samsara Eco and Lululemon create what they describe as the world's first infinitely recycled nylon 6,6 and polyester from clothing waste.
The partnership is also Lululemon's first minority investment in a recycling company, although the amount has not been disclosed, and Samsara Eco's first partnership in the apparel industry. The startup has raised a total of $56 million from investors including Breakthrough Victoria and Temasek, and its business partners include Woolworths Group.
Nylon and polyester are currently about 60% of the clothes that is produced today, but at the end of its life cycle, 87% ends up in landfill or incinerated.
Samsara Eco's enzyme-based technology breaks down mixed plastic-derived garments into their molecular components to produce new garments, which in turn can be broken down again, creating what the company calls infinite recycling.
Paul Riley, CEO and founder of Samsara Eco, explained that nylon 6,6 is one of the most used materials in the textile and fashion industry, because its complex chemical structure makes it very versatile and resistant. But it is also difficult to decompose and recycle.
Both nylon and polyester come from fossil fuels and often end up in landfills. However, by working with Lululemon, Samsara Eco has expanded its library of plastic-killing enzymes to include ones for polyester and nylon 6,6. "What this means is that we can now break down clothing made from mixed materials down to their basic molecules, which can then be used to re-create new clothing over and over again."
Samsara Eco and Lululemon's partnership will last several years, with plans to expand circularity through textile-to-textile recycling for the performance apparel industry, but Riley said it is open to textiles from other sources.
"While this partnership is a key milestone in our roadmap to recycle 1,5 million tonnes of plastic per year by 2030, as our society moves away from creating new plastics made from fossil fuels, we hope that more industries that depend on plastic see Samsara Eco as a viable recycling option,” he said.
Lululemon Vice President of Raw Materials Innovation Yogendra Dandapure stated that Samsara Eco's enzymatic recycling process will allow the company to move towards recycling end-of-life products to create new garments, again and again. The company's Be Planet goal is to manufacture 100% of its products with sustainable products and end-of-life solutions, moving towards a circular ecosystem, by 2030.
Other Lululemon initiatives include products made from renewable plant-based nylon, which launched in April in collaboration with Geno, and Lululemon's Like New program, which sells second-hand clothing.
Dandapure said Lululemon is currently focused on creating and testing a successful fabric for nylon and polyester this year, with an eye toward future product and scaling plans. "We are working to present our first prototypes later this year and will begin to unveil small collections in the next year or two," he said.
