Hyosung TNC, sustainable textile maker, says that it has partnered with Ambercycle, a material science company, to become the first manufacturer in South Korea to introduce a textile-to-textile, circular polyester into supply chains. The collaboration advances the partners’ shared vision of a circular textile ecosystem that repurposes end-of-life products into high-performing fibers for brands looking to curb their environmental impact.
The partnership will tap Hyosung’s 58 years of advanced fiber manufacturing capabilities and nearly two decades of experience producing high-quality, sustainable textiles to support the integration of Ambercycle’s circular polyester material, cycora®, into brand supply chains.
“Our collaboration with Ambercycle is another important step we are taking to help our customers meet their sustainability goals and scale solutions that both present and future generations can enjoy,” said Chi Hyung Kim, CEO, Hyosung TNC. “We’re impressed with cycora® for its quality but also for its potential to divert tons of textile waste from landfills and incinerators and reduce the extraction of raw materials used in the production of virgin polyester.”
Based in Los Angeles, Ambercycle is rapidly scaling cycora®, a regenerated polyester chip that meets the spinnability standards of virgin materials and outperforms other recycled materials, according to testing by the European Center for Innovative Textiles (CETI). Ambercycle’s molecular regeneration technology will add to a growing portfolio of circular solutions manufactured by Hyosung TNC. Developed at its research and development center, Hyosung says it was the world’s first company to develop regen™ nylon from discarded fishing nets in 2007 and achieved another significant milestone by becoming the first company to globally receive the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification for its recycled regen polyester.