This partnership aims to sustainably alter a vital element of nylon 6,6, which plays a key role in numerous Lululemon offerings, including their popular Align and Wunder Train leggings.
The collaboration began last year when Lululemon partners with ZymoChem for bio-based nylon, supporting ZymoChem’s efforts to create a bio-based alternative to adipic acid, a significant petroleum-derived component in nylon 6,6.
Looking ahead, the alliance is set to enhance ZymoChem’s technology to promote the production and market introduction of this bio-based alternative. According to Yogendra Dandapure, Lululemon’s Vice President of Raw Materials Innovation, “What truly sets ZymoChem apart is their groundbreaking technology, which is capable of producing a bio-based material to create sustainable nylon 6,6 that provides the same look, feel, and quality expected from our high-performance products.
“By continuing to expand our partnerships with forward-thinking leaders like ZymoChem, we’re creating multiple pathways to transition to sustainable materials across our product portfolio.”
For Lululemon, this collaboration with ZymoChem enhances its ongoing partnerships with other sustainable material innovators, such as Geno, which is focused on developing lower-impact bio-based nylon alternatives.
In the previous year, the retailer, working with Australian environmental tech startup Samsara Eco, introduced the first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product, demonstrating the potential for textile-to-textile recycling in this durable and complex fibre.
Through its efforts, Lululemon partners with ZymoChem for bio-based nylon to make strides in its commitment to creating products with preferred materials and solutions for end-of-life considerations. ZymoChem co-founder and CEO Harshal Chokhawala commented, “We spent years refining our patented Carbon Conserving process with a vision to develop a sustainable version of nylon. We are thrilled to have deepened our engagement with Lululemon, setting the stage for our technologies to deliver bio-based and decarbonized nylon on a global scale.”
