For the love of: ECONYL® Fabric
At Lumar Active, we are committed to producing all garments from low-impact materials, rescued deadstock, recycled fabric or regenerated yarns. One such material we’re incredibly passionate about is ECONYL® fabric....
At Lumar Active, we are committed to producing all garments from low-impact materials, rescued deadstock, recycled fabric or regenerated yarns. One such material we’re incredibly passionate about is ECONYL® fabric.
If you’ve been shopping in the right places, you’re likely to have come across ECONYL®. ECONYL® is one of the most practical and planet-positive products making its way through fashion land. And for good reason.
ECONYL® is a sustainable fabric made from recycled plastic, and it’s the first of its kind.
But how is ECONYL® fabric made, and why should we love it?
ECONYL® fabric is a 100% regenerated nylon fiber made from recycled plastic. It’s derived from pre and post-industrial waste such as discarded fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet use, industrial plastic, and even carpet fluff (specifically, the top part of Nylon carpets that are at the end of their useful life).
So not only is it a recycled yarn, meaning there is no new raw material produced, but it is made from waste that would otherwise likely be left to pollute our earth. This makes ECONYL® fabric an environmentally friendly choice.
ECONYL® fabric is created by taking this plastic waste and breaking it down into its component polymers (e.g., PET bottles and other plastics), then turning those polymers into a new material that can be used to make clothing and many other items. Often, these products, especially the ones made from ECONYL® fabric, have even better qualities than their virgin counterparts.
Stronger swimwear made from old plastic water bottles? That’s a big yes from us.
So what exactly does “regenerated” mean in the context of ECONYL® fabric? Well, there are two ways you can make new materials out of old ones: The first is by recycling; the second is by creating something similar but different (or “regenerating”).
In the case of ECONYL® fabrics, they’re being recycled into something entirely different than what was originally used to make them. For example, PET bottles have been turned into something called “polyester” which has very different properties than PET alone would have had if it weren’t broken down first (and put back together again).
The ECONYL® impact
We love ECONYL® fabric because not only is it even stronger than virgin nylon, but being recycled means that no new raw materials are used in the production process (and no virgin carbon resources are consumed). This saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves natural resources like water, forests and minerals (like phosphate).
ECONYL® fabric is an exciting new development for the fashion world and a prominent feature within our range.