Nylstar’s Meryl yarn can now be produced with the Global Recycled Standard certification using Invista recycled nylon 6.6 polymer fiber.
Nylstar noted that even though this new collaboration means its yarn contains 50 percent or more recycled content, it will retain the same quality characteristics.
Invista sources post-industrial nylon 6.6 material from its plant in Kingston, Canada, where fibers for airbags and carpets are produced. Through its proprietary process, Invista converts post-industrial fiber waste to pellet form and supplies it to Nylstar for spinning into yarn to produce finished goods for some of the world’s top fashion houses, enabling then to deliver sustainable garments to the market.
“We, through our Research Center for Advanced Recycled Materials, are the first to commercialize these recycled materials for use in fine denier yarns for the athleisure market,” Alfonso Cirera, CEO and president of Nylstar, said.
Recycled Meryl yarns are available with additional sustainability solutions, including dope-dye colors, solvent and silicone-free, zero microplastic pollution and natural stretch without elastane. These yarn technologies were born from Nylstar’s commitment to reduce or eliminate water, energy and chemical consumption while promoting 100 percent recyclability in garment production.
“Thanks to our work with Invista, we can now offer our brand partners a new way to transition to closed-loop solutions without compromising the performance, hand-feel and durability consumers expect from Meryl yarns,” Cicera said.
Nylstar is also currently working with retailers to rapidly develop collection and processing infrastructure to promote post-consumer recycling of garments made with Meryl yarns.
“Nylstar has the knowledge and technology to convert recycled polymer into specialty yarns,” Mark Delaplane, vice president of Product Line Strategy at Invista, said. “This is an exciting example of a win-win solution and preferred customer relationship that promotes environmental stewardship while delivering high quality products to the fashion industry.”
A subsidiary of Koch Industries, Invista brings to market the proprietary ingredients for nylon 6.6 and recognized brands that include Stainmaster, Cordura and Antron. Invista also offers recycled polymers, specialty chemical intermediates and process technologies.