The Lycra Company has entered into an agreement with Qore to produce the first large-scale commercial production of bio-derived spandex using Qira, a next generation 1,4-butanediol (BDO), as one of its main ingredients.
Lycra's claim: The company claims this will result in 70% of the Lycra fibre content being derived from annually renewable feedstock. This change could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of Lycra fibre by up to 44% compared to equivalent product made from fossil-based resources, while maintaining the same high-quality performance parameters of traditional Lycra fibre.
The production: Qira will be produced at Cargill’s biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa, US.
- The facility, which is currently being built, will commence operations in 2024.
- The first renewable Lycra fibre made with Qira will be produced at the Lycra Company’s Tuas, Singapore manufacturing site in 2024.
- The company is currently seeking commitments with brand and retail customers who are pursuing bio-derived solutions for their apparel.
The new fibre: The first generation of renewable Lycra fibre made with Qira will use feedstock from field corn grown by Iowa farmers and will, the company claims, enable a significant reduction in CO2 footprint.
- In addition to replacing a finite resource with an annually renewable one, another benefit for mills, brands and retailers is that there is no change in fibre performance, eliminating the need for any re-engineering of fabrics, patterns, or processes.
- Equivalent performance was demonstrated in 2014 when the first bio-derived spandex was launched under the Lycra brand. The Lycra Company has since been granted a patent for the process used to make renewable elastane from bio-derived BDO.
What they said:
As part of our sustainability goals, we are committed to delivering products that support a more circular economy while helping our apparel and personal care customers reduce their footprint. We are especially pleased to collaborate with Qore, a company that shares our vision for innovative, sustainable solutions. Their expertise in operating fermentation processes and understanding of the chemical value chains makes them the ideal partner to help develop a bio-derived Lycra fibre at commercial scale.
— Julien Born
Chief Executive Officer
The Lycra Company
We are proud to partner with the Lycra Company on bringing this sustainable material solution to the market. This collaboration demonstrates that Qira directly replaces conventional BDO and thus significantly improves the fibre’s sustainability profile. Qita is an innovative platform chemical that can be used in various applications across industries.
— Jon Veldhouse
Chief Executive Officer
Qore
