TENCEL (Lenzing)
Sustainable wood-based fibers. Lenzing's fiber is produced from sustainably harvested wood pulp using a closed-loop process that recovers over 99% of the solvent used. The resulting lyocell and modal fibers are softer than cotton, more absorbent, and fully biodegradable at end of life. TENCEL is used in apparel, home textiles, and medical applications where moisture management and skin comfort are priorities. The production process uses significantly less water and energy than conventional cotton farming and processing.
More Textiles-fabrics
Orange Fiber
Sustainable fabrics from citrus juice byproducts. The company extracts cellulose from citrus juice byproducts to create a silk-like fabric for the fashion industry. Its patented process converts hundreds of thousands of tons of annually wasted citrus peel into soft, dyeable textile fibers. Salvatore Ferragamo produced the first capsule collection using Orange Fiber material, validating it for luxury fashion applications. The technology exemplifies circular economy principles by converting food industry waste into high-value textile products.
Natural Fiber Welding
Plant-based leather and textile technology. The company developed MIRUM, a plastic-free plant-based material made entirely from natural rubber, plant fibers, and minerals. Unlike most leather alternatives that rely on polyurethane coatings, MIRUM contains no petroleum-derived components and is fully compostable. The material is used by brands including Allbirds and Pangaia for footwear, accessories, and packaging applications. Natural Fiber Welding's technology also includes CLARUS for regenerative cotton and PlantKnit for plant-based performance textiles.
Repreve
Recycled performance fiber made from plastic bottles. Unifi's recycled fiber is made from post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste, with over 35 billion bottles transformed into fiber to date. The material performs identically to virgin polyester in moisture management, stretch, and durability for apparel and outdoor applications. Major brands including Patagonia, The North Face, and Ford use Repreve in clothing, backpacks, and automotive interiors. The traceability program verifies recycled content through FiberPrint technology embedded in every fiber.
ECONYL
Regenerated nylon from ocean and landfill waste. Aquafil's regenerated nylon is made from waste materials including fishing nets recovered from oceans, fabric scraps, and industrial plastic waste. The chemical recycling process breaks nylon waste down to its molecular components and reconstructs it into virgin-quality nylon 6 fiber. ECONYL can be recycled infinitely without quality degradation, supporting a true circular material economy for synthetic textiles. Brands including Prada, Gucci, and Burberry use the material in collections addressing ocean plastic pollution.
Polartec
Innovative performance fabrics. The company pioneered recycled polyester fleece in the 1990s and continues developing performance fabrics from recycled and bio-based materials. Its fabric technologies include Power Grid for temperature regulation, Alpha for breathable insulation, and NeoShell for waterproof stretch. Polartec supplies the military, outdoor industry, and fashion brands with technically advanced fabrics engineered for specific performance requirements. The company's manufacturing facility in Tennessee processes millions of recycled plastic bottles into high-performance textiles annually.
Gore-Tex
Waterproof breathable fabric membrane. The membrane technology uses expanded PTFE with over 9 billion microscopic pores per square inch that are too small for water droplets but large enough for vapor molecules. This structure provides waterproofing while allowing perspiration to escape, maintaining comfort during physical activity in wet conditions. Gore-Tex products span outerwear, footwear, gloves, and industrial applications including medical implants and cable insulation. The company's testing standards require products to meet performance criteria that exceed typical industry specifications.