PrimaLoft, Inc. is partnering with more than 15 outdoor sports, fashion, lifestyle and home furnishing brands to introduce PrimaLoft Bio to consumers this fall. PrimaLoft Bio is the first biodegradable, 100% recycled synthetic insulation and performance fabric.
“The prevalent use of plastic in our society has a huge impact on our environment because of its inability to break down over time,” said Mike Joyce, president and CEO of PrimaLoft. “PrimaLoft Bio has been specifically designed to biodegrade* in the environments where most plastics eventually end up: landfills and ocean water.”
PrimaLoft Bio is comprised of high-performance fibers that are made from 100% recycled materials (mainly plastic bottles) that “biodegrade” in specific environments such as landfills, oceans and wastewater, said PrimaLoft. At the same time, insulation and fabric made from PrimaLoft Bio fibers provide the same performance as products with virgin polyester fibers.
Additionally, PrimaLoft Bio fibers are renewable in a circular economy as it’s possible to rejuvenate the fibers into new high-performance material, repeated time and again, without any loss in quality, said PrimaLoft.
According to the company, when PrimaLoft Bio is exposed to oceanwater, wastewater or landfill environments, naturally occurring microbes break down the fibers to their natural elements, without leaving behind any harmful waste. The fibers will be transformed over time into water, CO2, methane, biomass and humus – a common component of potting soil. And PrimaLoft Bio will do so at a dramatically faster rate than standard polyester.
In accelerated test conditions, PrimaLoft Bio fibers reach near complete biodegradation in under two years, while standard polyester remains almost completely intact. Additionally, PrimaLoft Bio insulation and fabric degrade only in these specific environments, said PrimaLoft. They will not break down during use, in the washing machine or in the closet – for the full life of the garment.
According to a 2018 UN Environment report, only 9% of all plastic that has ever been produced has been recycled, with roughly 79% ending up in landfills or the natural environment. Approximately 8 million tons of plastic enter into the world’s oceans, each year.
Joyce added, “PrimaLoft Bio is an important step forward in providing sustainable solutions for microfiber pollution, throughout the entire life-cycle of a product.”
The first styles with PrimaLoft Bio will be available to consumers in upcoming fall 2020 collections from brands such a 4F, ESKA, Goldwin, Herno, Horsefeathers, Icebug, Jack Wolfskin, Klättermusen, Maloja, Namuk, Norrøna, Reusch, Roeckl, Ternua, Traumina and Viking. Other brands including Helly Hansen, Houdini, Montane and Rossignol will follow with their own styles in upcoming seasons.
