Spandex demand continues to grow, and brands and retailers are seeking ways to meet consumer demand for bio-based, sustainable options.
Meanwhile, the fashion industry is finally catching on that sustainability isn’t only about the fibers in a garment, but the source of the material itself. Mitigating emissions with closer manufacturing proximity is a big part of the holistic equation, and why Hyosung’s new vertically integrated, bio-based fiber manufacturing plant in Vietnam offers better speed to market, supply chain resilience and an improved LCA.
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Hyosung—the world’s largest manufacturer of spandex and key supplier of other performance synthetic fibers—had already made great strides in the creation of more sustainable spandex, nylon, and polyester. In 2020, it launched its certified 100 percent recycled regenTM Spandex made from industrial waste. Prior, the Seoul, Korea-based textile solutions provider was the first company to bring recycled nylon made from fishing nets to market in 2007.
Such initiatives have only driven further innovations that move away from fossil fuels. As part of Hyosung’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and help support the wider textile industry with their own evolving sustainability goals, Hyosung recently broke ground on the world’s first fully integrated manufacturing site for Bio-BDO, PTMG and spandex. Hyosung will partner with Geno, the San Diego-based biotech leader in the sustainable materials transition to produce the Bio-BDO, made from renewable sugar cane.
The Vietnam plant will produce certified bio-based spandex derived from sugar cane, commencing second quarter of 2026. Hyosung invested $1 billion in the project, underscoring its commitment to building ‘a better tomorrow.’ The initial annual capacity is 50,000 tons, and with an eye on scaling up to industry demand and bringing capacity up to 200,000 tons a year.
“Many brands want to focus on the recycled story, but others say, no, we want to look at renewable sources, which is why we offer both options,” said Sora Yoo, Hyosung Chief Marketing Officer, Textiles. “We want to offer a range of solutions for our customers because brands and retailers all value different things.”
The idea is to offer brands and retailers more sustainable choices.
“Powered by GENO™ BDO technology, Hyosung is establishing the first sustainable BDO production facility in Asia – a big step forward for the industries that use BDO in everyday products. This is what transitioning an industry looks like, at scale,” said John Gugel, president of Geno.
Sustainability story for brands
The luxury market is particularly primed for higher percentages of bio-based spandex content, especially in lifestyle and athletic wear. Not only is there a premium cost to it, but consumers are more willing to dive into storytelling that justifies that premium. That said, all brands and retailers can take advantage of opportunities to tell consumers about regen™ Bio Spandex, which comes with the following benefits: A lower LCA due to reduced transportation, plus supply chain resilience as the whole production process is located in the same area. Hyosung anticipates up to 80 percent carbon reduction for its regen™ BIO Spandex products produced in its Vietnam plant by 2026. This number is based on industry data and internal metrics. After the product launch, the company will provide a comprehensive third-party LCA incorporating full data.
On the garment front, performance and fashion options are “the same,” noted Yoo, and as fibers can be created in clear or black, consumers don’t have to deal with white fibers that “grin through” in black leggings, for example.
As consumers push the fashion industry to become more transparent in their sustainability efforts, Hyosung backs up all its claims. On the certification front, regen™ BIO Spandex has received ISCC+ international certification, a global sustainability and carbon certification system, on top of SGS certification, verifying it manufactured bio-spandex partly using raw materials to replace petroleum-based ingredients.
Hyosung isn’t just targeting the fashion industry, either, and has plans to extend its bio-BDO production for other needs. “The aim isn’t just to be for apparel,” said Yoo. “Bio-BDO is really important in other industries such as footwear, automotive and packaging. So that 200,000-ton capacity will also be adopted to industries who are growing in their use of renewables.”
For more information on Hyosung, click here.