Under Armour Drops Eco-Conscious, Recyclable Stretch Fiber
Watch out, Lululemon. Under Armour has sustainable spandex up its sleeve.
The athleticwear brand has teamed with chemicals company Celanese Corp. to develop a more sustainable alternative to spandex, addressing a longtime concern of consumers and activewear brands alike. The fiber for performance stretch fabrics, dubbed NeoLast, has the potential to be recycled—something the industry has yet to tackle successfully.
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“This new NeoLast fiber represents a transformative innovation for Under Armour and the textile industry, embodying our commitment to building better products for our consumers and planet,” said Kyle Blakely, senior vice president of innovation at Under Armour. “Through performance-driven sustainability and innovation, we look forward to helping athletes play at the top of their game as we work with Celanese to realize this new fiber’s potential to forge a path toward circularity.”
NeoLast fibers feature the same properties of elastane—stretch, durability, comfort and wicking—with a bonus: the fiber is spun using a solvent-free proprietary melt-extrusion process. This removes the potentially hazardous chemicals traditionally employed in the creation of elastane-based stretch fabrics from the equation. Celanese reported that clothing made with 2 percent to 40 percent NEoLast fiber performs significantly better than current elastane materials.
Recyclable elastoester polymers will be used to create the generic fiber. It will contain at least 50 percent aliphatic—a kind of biodegradable polymer—polyester, and at least 35 percent traditional polyester by weight. These polymers are commonly found in swimsuits and sportswear. Because the fiber is made from both thermoplastic and elastomeric polymers, it can help address the challenge of recycling blended fabrics.
This is the “critical first step” for the industry to tackle the task of recycling blended fabrics, Under Armour said.
“Our companies share a commitment to innovating at the materials level to improve products, in this case textiles. We saw an opportunity to team up to begin to tackle a longstanding sustainability challenge in our industry, and we look forward to making this elastane alternative more widely available to the industry long-term,” Blakely said. “We also have a super functional, aligned approach to complicated development and act as one team even though we are both part of large companies.”
Furthermore, the two companies are investigating the fibers’ potential to expand stretch fabrics’ compatibility with emerging recycling streams and infrastructures, supporting the industry’s transition to a circular economy.
Cameron Shayegi, senior vice president of global product supply for Under Armour, told Sourcing Journal that initial production activities are underway, taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both companies are working with several fiber partners for global commercialization in the “near future.” Though it hasn’t yet been revealed which products will feature NeoLast, the fiber is designed to offer an alternative to elastane; ergo, products like leggings and yoga pants are best suited.
“Working with a leading global brand like Under Armour to elevate the performance and sustainability benefits of their products is just the first of many great things we hope to accomplish with this innovative NeoLast technology,” said Tom Kelly, Celanese senior vice president of engineered materials. “We are just beginning to unlock its potential and look forward to what’s ahead as we explore other opportunities with end users.”
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