Fashion for Good Launches New Project To Validate Bio-based And Recycled Elastane
Stretching Circularity is a collaborative project initiated by Fashion for Good dedicated to accelerate the adoption of lower-impact elastane alternatives that are compatible with circular textile systems. By validating bio-based and recycled elastane solutions through pilot-scale testing and demonstrator garments, the initiative aims to remove one of the most significant technical barriers to a circular textile economy.
Present in approximately 80% of all clothing 1) , elastane is a material added in varying concentrations (typically from 1–5% by weight in cotton or wool garments to up to 20% in polyester or polyamide garments) to provide stretch and comfort. This fossil-based material creates two critical sustainability challenges:
First, it contributes to carbon emissions and non-renewable resource consumption across the industry.
Second (and more critically for circularity), even minimal concentrations of elastane act as a “contaminant” in textile recycling feedstocks, compromising fibre-to-fibre recycling of high-volume fibres like polyester and cotton. This effectively blocks circularity for the vast majority of clothing, leaving the industry with limited options beyond downcycling or landfill.
1) Stadler, A. (2025) Elastane in textile sorting: One challenge of recycling stretch fibers.
