The Lycra Company, a developer of sustainable and innovative fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, has published its first annual Planet Agenda update.
The Planet Agenda Update is named for the company’s sustainability framework that was established in 2008. Its three pillars of corporate responsibility, product sustainability and manufacturing excellence touch every aspect of its business.
“We believe in transparency and think it’s important to have a clear sustainability roadmap to guide our business into the future–a bold plan that fully supports our customers and stakeholders,” CEO Julien Born said. “In support of this plan, we have signed the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Call-to-Action Commitment Letter, a testament to our company’s focus on lowering emissions and environmental impact. I’m proud of our teams’ work to advance our sustainability efforts and develop our 2030 goals as we work toward our 2050 net zero commitment.”
This update also outlines how the company’s sustainability goals align with five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reports on its progress made thus far in reaching its objectives.
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“We have a long legacy as an industry leader known for investing in developing sustainable fibers and collaborating across the value chain,” said Jean Hegedus, sustainability director at The Lycra Company. “As we created our 2030 goals, we researched our customers’ goals to ensure that our goals supported them, which inspired the update’s theme of ‘What moves you…is what moves us.’”
The Lyrca Company began offering Coolmax EcoMade fiber in 2008 and has since extended its recycled product line to include fiber branded under Lycra, Lycra T400 and Thermolite. It also produces the Lycra XTRA Life brand fibers for stretch apparel that delivers lasting shape and fit.
Extending garment life with durable fibers reduces the environmental impact of garments and helps keep them out of landfills, the company noted. Lycra recently announced an agreement with Qore LLC to use QIRA for bio-derived Lycra fiber at scale.
“Our industry-leading research and development team is creating the next generation of sustainable offerings for apparel and personal care products right now,” Born added. “We can’t wait to share what’s next.”
In the area of product sustainability, by 2023, each product will have at least one sustainable attribute, such as durability, recycled, renewable, recyclable, safety and transparency, while expanding capability for recycling Lycra fiber waste to all manufacturing sites by 2030.
According to the report, the company aims to convert more than 80 percent of Coolmax and Thermolite fiber sales from virgin to recycled content 2025, and convert more than 30 percent of Lycra T400 fiber sales from virgin to post-consumer recycled content by the end of 2024, reaching more than 80 percent by 2030.
In addition, by 2024, Lycra plans to develop protocols to test the durability of stretch and recovery properties for four fabric types: denim, circular knit, warp knit and socks. By 2030, the goal is to have all products traceable throughout the value chain.
Headquartered in Wilmington, Del., the company owns the consumer and trade brands Lycra and its iterations HyFi and T400, as well as Coolmax, Thermolite, Elaspan, Supplex and Tactel.