Circularity is hot all over the world and denim brands and mills are following Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign guidelines for recyclable denim. Their standards are meant to create jeans that are both durable and easier to separate and recycle. This presents a challenge for denim manufacturers as consumers are used to high stretch and comfort.
Hyosung Textiles has developed a number of sustainable denim solutions and aims to help denim brands and mills fit the program criteria with its creora 3D Max spandex. Mike Simko – the company’s Global Marketing Director – states that it has been obvious from the beginning that people want stretch. Therefore the question arises how to combine that with sustainability and circularity. To improve the life cycle assessment of spandex, the company has developed creora regen spandex, which is made of 100% reclaimed waste.
The newly developed spandex has a 67 percent smaller carbon footprint than conventional spandex. Besides this creora bio-based spandex replaces 30% of chemicals with ones derived from dent corn. When the corn is growing it consumes carbon dioxide, thus reducing greenhouse gases. For jeans with added performance, the company has developed a portfolio of 100% recycled nylon and polyester yarns with multi-functional properties such as cooling and drying, light-weight, cotton-touch and comfort stretch.