Latest news with #Hyosung
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hyosung Transitioning Bio-Based Spandex Feedstock from Corn to Sugar
How sweet it is. Hyosung, the world's largest producer of spandex by market share, leaned into sustainable stretch with its bio-based spandex made from dent corn feedstock. Ever since, it has been aiming to increase the content of its regen™ BIO Spandex, and now, it's found a solution in sugar. More from Sourcing Journal Polartec® Alpha™ Celebrates 13 Years of Game-Changing Active Insulation The RAW Edition by US Denim Mills Brings Nature's Unfiltered Spirit to Life Sustainability Takes Pressure, Policies Says Kering Exec The sugarcane-based bio-BDO is part of Hyosung's plan to support the textile industry in reducing carbon emissions by moving to more circular business models. Last year, Hyosung partnered with sustainable materials leader, Geno, to start construction at its Vietnam plant to produce Bio-BDO derived from sugarcane, powered by Geno's proprietary BDO technology. For more than two decades, Geno has been developing and scaling technology to enable the production of sustainable materials derived from plant- or waste-based feedstocks instead of fossil fuels. The Korea-based fiber manufacturer cites three specifics for the sugarcane upgrade. 'First, sugarcane has a higher yield per hectare than corn. Second, sugarcane is more effective at sequestering carbon than corn. Third, sugarcane's byproduct, bagasse, can be used as a renewable energy source, further reducing its carbon footprint,' said Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, Hyosung's global sustainability director-textiles, adding that there is no compromise on durability and performance compared to corn, or even traditional spandex. There is no change in the characteristics or the bio-based content of the bio spandex itself, stressed Whitmarsh-Knight. The functionality and quality of the spandex remain consistent, allowing customers to enjoy the same high-performance product while benefiting from a renewable input material. Hyosung will be utilizing the bio-BDO facilities at its plant in Vietnam. The facility expects to start production in the first half of next year, with the potential of producing up to 50,000 tons of bio-BDO by the end of 2026. 'For the first time, the industry will have an integrated supply of bio-based spandex in one region, from raw material to fiber,' said Whitmarsh-Knight. 'This provides significant benefits to our customers such as faster speed to market, reduced development times and a more robust supply chain.' Having pioneered the use of sugarcane in spandex, Hyosung had the opportunity to develop a new value chain for this product, one also linked to traceability, transparency and certification. 'It was essential that we found a partner who had the practical knowledge, value chain connections and consulting expertise to help us build and track this new system,' said Whitmarsh-Knight. 'Having researched the market in depth, we decided that CZ (Czarnikow) offered the optimum balance of direct connections with farmers, logistical experience and sustainability know-how. In addition, their VIVE platform provides well-established structure and processes to trace the product from farm to manufacturing facility.' Hyosung's brand and retail partners have already reaped the benefits of adding regen™ BIO spandex to fabric blends with other bio-based fibers, not to mention using it as a renewable stretch engine with cotton and merino wool. Hyosung plans to transition existing customers and their value chains from its Gen 1 corn-based spandex to its Gen 2 sugarcane-based version starting next year. And since every brand takes a unique approach to sustainability according to their goals, Hyosung has expanded its bio Spandex offering to include various options for the yarn to be made with a higher content of renewable resources to include regen BIO + and regen BIO Max. Backed by third-party verified data and independent Life Cycle Assessments, regen™ BIO Max elastane delivers a 27 percent lower carbon footprint and 82 percent less ozone depletion than conventional spandex, marking a meaningful shift towards circular, regenerative materials. Making the transition even easier is the fact that the structure and ratio of bio-based content remain consistent even when switching the feedstock from corn to sugarcane. PANGAIA, the materials science company at the intersection of science, purpose and design, has successfully brought Hyosung's regen BIO spandex to commercial use and is on board for the sugarcane transition. Starting from Women's activewear, expanding to Men's, and now extending into their new 365 Seamless range with regen BIO Max, this continuous adoption highlights PANGAIA's deep understanding and trust in bio-based products as part of their innovative sustainability strategy. 'The ongoing use of bio-based materials by such a pioneering brand demonstrates that the bio story resonates strongly with consumers,' said Whitmarsh-Knight. 'It is clear evidence that our product is growing within both the fashion industry and sustainability movement.' How each brand messages this material to their end consumers will ultimately depend on their respective communication strategy, but Whitmarsh-Knight feels sugarcane has the potential to resonate well with consumers interested in bio-based materials. 'That said, since bio-based spandex is still relatively new in the market, it may be more important at this stage to first help consumers understand the broader shift from fossil fuels to renewable resources. Once that foundation is established, brands will be better positioned to evolve their storytelling with more nuanced details about the specific feedstocks being used,' he said. Beyond textiles, Hyosung also plans to also use its bio-BDO in footwear, packaging and automotive, so moving this to bio-BDO will represent a significant saving in carbon emissions across multiple industries. To learn more about Hyosung's textile materials, click here.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
When Food Became Fashion. Is Your Outfit Made From Corn or Crude Oil?
The future of fashion will be grown. getty The fashion industry has made huge strides to address its environmental impact but mainstream media focus has often been fast fashion, clothing manufacturing and human rights. While glossy campaigns tout conscious collections and earth tones, the lesser known challenge is a fibre problem. Most clothes are still made from synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels or water-intensive crops like cotton. The underlying fabric hasn't actually changed much, until recent years. Recently, PANGAIA, the materials science company-slash-fashion brand, has just launched its most advanced plant-based activewear to date: the 365 Seamless Activewear collection. It marks the commercial debut of a new bio-based elastane called regen™ BIO Max, an innovation made from mostly agricultural feedstocks, like industrial corn, developed by fibre specialists Hyosung. Combined with EVO® Nylon derived from castor beans, the range is then finished with the brand's signature peppermint oil treatment to reduce odour and washing frequency. The new range shows that sustainable fashion is finally growing up - not just in ethos, but also in engineering. And yet, it's taken decades for these kinds of materials to make it to market. Why? Despite Fashion's reputation for reinvention, the industry supply chain is notoriously rigid. Most clothing garments still rely on conventional cotton, polyester, and elastane-- materials that are cheap, scalable, and readily available across global manufacturing networks. Polyester alone accounts for over 50% of global fibre production. Sure, it's durable– but derived from petroleum. Traditional elastane (also known as Spandex) is also energy-intensive to produce and non-biodegradable. These materials linger in landfill long after their athleisure lifecycle has ended. Cotton, although natural, isn't entirely a get-out-of-jail-free card either. Cotton is thirsty, chemically intensive and contributes to pesticide runoff in many parts of the world. More importantly, all of these materials are deeply embedded within the industry and across all of it's major players. This is the backdrop against which alternative materials have struggled to gain traction. Like many young businesses, promising innovations often stalled at the intersection of cost, consistency, and scale. Many were relegated to the realm of fashion experiments or future-gazing lookbooks – merely a marketing campaign for some brands looking to greenwash some of their impact. So why are we seeing a shift now? The turning point is perhaps less about tech breakthroughs and more about mindset shifts. As climate risk becomes more urgent and regulatory scrutiny gets tighter, brands are under pressure to think beyond a one-off planet-friendly product and tackle their upstream impact. Consumers, too, are asking smarter questions: not just where a garment is made, but what it's made of and how. Patrick Baptista Pinto, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and cofounder of Really Clever, a company developing sustainable biomaterials from fungi and among the first globally to build a pilot factory says: 'We're seeing a real shift in the market—brands are no longer just looking for leather alternatives, but for biomaterials that can replace synthetic materials more broadly. With the consistent stream of research highlighting the harm microplastics have on our health, there's growing urgency to find better solutions." Inbound demand from consumers and brands is one thing, but perhaps the most crucial change is that new material innovators are finally delivering on functionality without compromise. They look, feel and perform just as well as the legacy materials - not just for consumers but from a commercial standpoint too. 'With the completion of our pilot factory earlier this year, we've met key industry standards and reached price parity with synthetics in select product categories,' continues Pinto, "This puts us in a strong position to help drive systemic change across the materials industry.' PANGAIA's strength lies in its R&D-forward model. It's not a fashion brand dabbling in green—it's positioned as a materials science company with a fashion arm. By working directly with fibre manufacturers, it brings some more scientific rigour to what is often a superficial space. Their model is also clear: develop innovative materials, validate performance and environmental impact, and then bring them to market in wearable, design-led formats. Although some industry voices argue PANGAIA's narrative veers into marketing gloss, this approach has earned them a loyal following and positioned them as a quiet leader in textile innovation. What sets this new collection apart is how seamlessly (pun intended) it blends performance with planet and without slipping into the tired tropes of 'eco fashion'. No hemp-heavy silhouettes. No guilt-ridden greenwashing. Just well-designed activewear that happens to be better for the planet. PANGAIA may be leading the charge, but it's not alone. Alternative materials are showing up across the consumer landscape. Stella McCartney was an early mover in mycelium leather, debuting mushroom-based Mylo handbags. Ganni has experimented with grape leather and even Hermès has quietly tested lab-grown materials. Their participation is proof that innovation isn't just for disruptors. In footwear, brands like Vivobarefoot have introduced a range of supernatural materials from micro algae, banana fibre and seashell waste. Patagonia's biobased wetsuits and Levi's hemp-blended denim also signal some much needed change within the performance and heritage categories too. What these examples show is that the idea of 'alternative materials' is becoming less fringe, and more foundational. Despite the promise, adoption is far from widespread. Most alternative materials still account for less than 1% of the market. Costs remain hig and certifications are patchy. Ultimately, any meaningful scale requires buy-in from the biggest players—not just disruptive start-ups and independent eco-friendly businesses. There's also a branding problem. Many consumers still equate 'plant-based' with weak performance or scratchy textures. There's work to be done in rebranding these innovations and positioning them as upgrades, not compromises. That's where the storytelling comes in. Brands like PANGAIA are helping to rewrite the narrative—not by dumbing down science, but by making it wearable, desirable and emotionally resonant. They've shown that you don't have to choose between function and ethics or between good looks and good impact. If we want fashion to become truly sustainable, we need more than recycled polyester and organic cotton on our shop shelves. We need a reinvention of the very fibres we have come to rely upon. That reinvention is finally underway but it won't be fast. It requires long-term investment, system-wide collaboration, and a willingness to rethink what 'normal' looks like in fashion. Brands need to back innovation but also educate their communities on why it matters. Investors need to back brands doing their bit to make systemic change. Consumers (and the communities they make) have more power than they realise. Every purchase is a vote for the type of future we want to wear. Every voice on social media is an amplification of what's important. PANGAIA's latest drop isn't just another collection—it's a signal. A signal that material innovation has matured and that alternatives are here. A signal that the fabric of fashion itself might finally be ready to change.
Fashion Network
31-05-2025
- Science
- Fashion Network
Pangaia launches plant-based activewear collection
Materials science company Pangaia has unveiled its most advanced plant-based activewear collection to date, marking an industry first. Dubbed "365 Seamless Activewear', the collection features a next-generation material system combining 100% bio-based Evo Nylon, by Fulgar from plants and renewable sources, with Hyosung's regen Bio Max elastane, made with a polymer composed of 98% renewable resources. Pangaia is the first brand globally to incorporate regen Bio Max elastane into a commercial activewear range. The fibre replaces nearly all fossil-fuel inputs to deliver a 27% lower carbon footprint and 82% less ozone depletion than conventional spandex. Each piece is then finished with Ppprmt, its peppermint oil-based odour-control treatment that helps garments stay fresher for longer and reduces the need for frequent washing. The launch collection features five minimal, foundational styles with seamless construction to contour the body for a second-skin fit. Offered in Black, Gaia Blue, and Dewy Rose, the palette evokes the purity of earth, sky, and bloom. Styles include a ribbed tank top, long and short sleeve tops, and compressive leggings and shorts.
Fashion Network
31-05-2025
- Science
- Fashion Network
Pangaia launches plant-based activewear collection
Materials science company Pangaia has unveiled its most advanced plant-based activewear collection to date, marking an industry first. Dubbed "365 Seamless Activewear', the collection features a next-generation material system combining 100% bio-based Evo Nylon, by Fulgar from plants and renewable sources, with Hyosung's regen Bio Max elastane, made with a polymer composed of 98% renewable resources. Pangaia is the first brand globally to incorporate regen Bio Max elastane into a commercial activewear range. The fibre replaces nearly all fossil-fuel inputs to deliver a 27% lower carbon footprint and 82% less ozone depletion than conventional spandex. Each piece is then finished with Ppprmt, its peppermint oil-based odour-control treatment that helps garments stay fresher for longer and reduces the need for frequent washing. The launch collection features five minimal, foundational styles with seamless construction to contour the body for a second-skin fit. Offered in Black, Gaia Blue, and Dewy Rose, the palette evokes the purity of earth, sky, and bloom. Styles include a ribbed tank top, long and short sleeve tops, and compressive leggings and shorts.
Fashion Network
31-05-2025
- Science
- Fashion Network
Pangaia launches plant-based activewear collection
Materials science company Pangaia has unveiled its most advanced plant-based activewear collection to date, marking an industry first. Dubbed "365 Seamless Activewear', the collection features a next-generation material system combining 100% bio-based Evo Nylon, by Fulgar from plants and renewable sources, with Hyosung's regen Bio Max elastane, made with a polymer composed of 98% renewable resources. Pangaia is the first brand globally to incorporate regen Bio Max elastane into a commercial activewear range. The fibre replaces nearly all fossil-fuel inputs to deliver a 27% lower carbon footprint and 82% less ozone depletion than conventional spandex. Each piece is then finished with Ppprmt, its peppermint oil-based odour-control treatment that helps garments stay fresher for longer and reduces the need for frequent washing. The launch collection features five minimal, foundational styles with seamless construction to contour the body for a second-skin fit. Offered in Black, Gaia Blue, and Dewy Rose, the palette evokes the purity of earth, sky, and bloom. Styles include a ribbed tank top, long and short sleeve tops, and compressive leggings and shorts.
