TEXTILES.ORG
The LYCRA Company, a fiber and technology provider for apparel and personal care products, has announced its bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA®, which the company says is the industry’s first renewable spandex available at scale. The fiber will be launched in the first half of 2025.
Made from annually grown field corn, it’s expected to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44 percent, while delivering equivalent performance to the original fiber. The company’s aim is to help accelerate decarbonization in the fashion industry.
Results from two previous life cycle assessments on LYCRA® fiber showed that its greatest environmental impact comes from its ingredients. The company’s collaboration on bio-derived fiber made with QIRA® will deliver more sustainable solutions at scale to brands and retailers focusing on reducing their own products’ footprints.
QIRA ® is the company’s brand of a chemical known as BDO. Unlike standard BDO, which is fossil-fuel based, QIRA ® is derived from field or dent corn, which is not for direct human consumption. The bio-derived product will be converted into PTMEG, the key ingredient used in LYCRA ® fiber.