PrimaLoft, a developer of high-performance insulations and fabrics, and Origin Materials Inc., a carbon negative materials company, announced a strategic alliance to develop carbon-negative, insulating high-performance fibers.
The fibers will be used across a diverse array of end products, including for outdoor, fashion and lifestyle brands, as well as home goods applications such as hypoallergenic insulated bedding.
PrimaLoft has signed a capacity reservation agreement with Origin Materials and the companies will work to rapidly develop and commercialize new products derived from Origin Materials’ platform. The collaboration will leverage the leadership position of PrimaLoft as a specialty producer of insulating fibers and filaments with more than 900 global brand partners, such as Patagonia, Stone Island, L.L. Bean, Lululemon, Adidas and Nike, as well as a large global network of manufacturers that employ a range of textile processes to make its products, including extrusion, carding, spinning, finishing, weaving, knitting, dyeing, airlaid and meltblown.
The collaboration will focus on developing fibers from carbon-negative PET and next-generation polymers produced with Origin Materials’ patented technology platform. It builds on PrimaLoft’s “Relentlessly Responsible” mission to elevate performance and sustainability through innovation. The platform includes PrimaLoft Bio, which was developed and launched into the market in late 2018 as an effort to battle microplastics in the ocean; PrimaLoft P.U.R.E., which provides materials manufactured with greater than 50 percent CO2 savings, and PrimaLoft’s post-consumer recycling initiative. The next frontier for the company is non-petroleum based raw materials, including products that biodegrade and other circular economy solutions.
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Origin Materials believes its technology platform, which turns inexpensive, sustainable wood residues into carbon-negative materials, will help revolutionize the production of a wide range of end products, including clothing, textiles, plastics, packaging, car parts, tires, carpeting and toys with an estimated $1 trillion addressable market.
In addition, Origin Materials’ technology platform is expected to provide stable pricing largely de-coupled from the petroleum supply chain that is exposed to more volatility than supply chains based on wood.
“We have a shared vision for how materials can help the world transition to net zero carbon as soon as possible,” Origin Materials co-CEO Rich Riley said of the Prima Loft collaboration. “Together, we can develop innovative solutions that will bring tremendous value to PrimaLoft’s customers and result in a significant reduction of carbon emissions in the apparel, outdoor and home goods sectors.”
PrimaLoft president and CEO Mike Joyce said partnering with Origin Materials is a significant step in the company’s sustainability mission.
“Developing products that perform at the highest level while making the least impact on the environment is our ultimate goal,” Joyce said. “Working with Origin Materials to achieve those high-performance standards through non-petroleum based means is a huge stride forward.”
Headquartered in West Sacramento, Calif., over the past 10 years, Origin Materials has developed a platform for turning the carbon found in non-food biomass into useful materials, while capturing carbon in the process. Origin Materials’ first commercial plant is expected to be operational in 2022 with a second commercial plant expected to be operational by 2025, with plans for additional expansion over the next decade.
On Feb. 17, Origin Materials and Artius Acquisition Inc., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in Origin Materials becoming a public company. Upon closing of the transaction, expected in the second quarter of 2021, the combined company will be named Origin Materials and remain listed on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol “ORGN.”
The transaction, together with anticipated financing and grants, is expected to fully fund Origin Materials until profitable and allow it to scale and commence commercial production to meet signed customer offtake and capacity reservations of $1.9 billion across a diverse range of industries.
PrimaLoft, based in Latham, N.Y., with offices in Xiamen, China is active in sustainable textile production through partnerships with the Bluesign system, the International Oeko-Tex Association, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Index and the Global Recycled Standard.