Fashion for Good has introduced the Stretching Circularity initiative, a multi-partner programme intended to speed up the adoption of lower-impact elastane options that can fit within circular textile systems.
Unveiled on 12 February 2026, the project will move beyond early-stage concepts by running pilot-scale trials and producing demonstrator garments, with the goal of proving that both bio-based and recycled elastane routes can deliver the performance brands need while supporting recyclability.
Elastane is now embedded in the vast majority of clothing—around 80% of apparel—typically at 1–5% by weight in cotton and wool products, but reaching as much as 20% in polyester or polyamide items. While the fibre is prized for stretch, recovery and comfort, it creates two structural problems for sustainability. Conventional elastane contributes to higher emissions and depends on non-renewable inputs, and it also undermines fibre-to-fibre recycling because it can contaminate recycling feedstocks.
That “contaminant” effect is particularly difficult to manage: even small elastane percentages can disrupt recycling processes, which often pushes recovered materials into downcycling or, in the worst cases, waste streams.
To tackle the issue systematically, the Stretching Circularity initiative is organised into two primary workstreams. One focuses on testing newer elastane materials made from alternative sources, including bio-based inputs. As part of that work, the programme will develop two t-shirt styles—a technical version containing 10% elastane and a non-technical version with 2%—to compare performance across different use cases.
The second workstream centres on regenerated elastane produced using newer recycling approaches, assessing whether recycled stretch fibres can meet functional requirements without compromising circularity goals.
Both tracks will use pilot-scale validation protocols designed to generate comparable datasets on performance, environmental impact, economic viability and scalability.
Fashion for Good managing director Katrin Ley said: “Lower-impact elastane solutions exist, but they lack the pilot-scale validation brands need to scale them confidently. This initiative seeks to provide that missing data, turning a well-known recycling ‘contaminant’ into a functional component of a circular supply chain.”
Partners span multiple points in the value chain, including Levi Strauss & Co (Beyond Yoga), On, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials and Reformation, with Ralph Lauren Corporation participating as an adviser. Materiom and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation are also contributing ecosystem-level input to support knowledge-sharing and help evaluate scaling risks.
A structured due diligence and validation framework underpins the project, aimed at confirming that alternatives are not only scientifically plausible but capable of matching the performance benchmarks of traditional elastane in real products.
Reformation sustainability senior director Carrie Freiman Parry said: “Stretching Circularity is about tackling that problem at the root and proving that lower-impact stretch materials and new recycling pathways can meet real performance and design standards.”