Polartec Commits to 100% Recycled, Biodegradability Across Entire Line

Polartec has announced its Eco-Engineering™ initiative to use recycled and biodegradable materials across its entire product line.

The effort joins other industry leaders in sustainable textiles Unifi and Intrinsic Advanced Materials. The collaboration combines CiCLO technology with Unifi’s yarn products to promote biodegradation of polyester and nylon, as well as applications in polyurethane, in sea water and landfill conditions. The goal is to create fully recycled and biodegradable fleeces and breathable waterproof membranes, as well as other knits and insulation fills.

“By collaborating with the best in the business, Polartec is committing to the pursuit of a future where everything is eco-engineered to use recycled inputs and to be biodegradable,” says Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “This is the culmination of over 25 years of Polartec investment and innovation.”

Polartec created the very first performance fabrics made from post-consumer recycled plastics in 1993 and began collaborating with Unifi in 2006.

The collaboration is an extension of Polartec Eco-Engineering™, a process that deploys recycled inputs, advanced production techniques, logistical efficiency, and testing and certifications to create an innovation pipeline devoted to producing sustainable fabrics with elite performance characteristics, said the ingredient brand. This includes OEKO-TEX® and bluesign certifications across all Polartec facilities worldwide. The Polartec Eco-Engineering™ effort seeks to set a new, higher “triple bottom line” standard for the textile industry: fully recycled inputs, fully recyclable fabrics, and complete biodegradability.