As the fashion industry works to break its addiction to fossil fuel while balancing consumer’s addiction to comfort—especially in the synthetic spandex-reliant activewear industry—talk isn’t enough. Brands and retailers must show commitment to bio-based fibers to keep innovations progressing and brought to scale. Seoul-based Hyosung’s growing partnership with purpose-driven apparel company PANGAIA is proof of concept.
Materials science brand PANGAIA was the first brand to launch women’s activewear with Hyosung’s regen Bio spandex (in 2022) and it has since expanded its bio-based offerings to include men’s, with plans to increase its bio-based penetration. Meanwhile, Hyosung recently broke ground on a new vertically integrated factory in Vietnam for renewable, sugarcane-based material fibers that will help existing clients lower their carbon emissions impact, plus offer bio-based options for the industry at large. The factory is the first in Hyosung’s larger $1 billion investment in Bio BDO, a technology that is powered by California based biotech sustainable materials leader Geno’s technology.
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“Hyosung is accelerating the materials transition and we’re proud that Geno’s technology is powering their shift to defossilize. As they are the world’s largest spandex producer, this signals that the need for traceable, transparent and non-fossil, now plant-based sources is driving more resilient supply chains,” said Sasha Calder, vice president of impact, Geno.
Once Hyosung’s fully integrated factory is up and running, they expect to see an anticipated savings of up to 80 percent in carbon compared to standard elastane spandex, a significant reduction for individual brands and the industry once operations are scaled up.
“At PANGAIA, we are committed to increasing the use of bio-compatible materials year on year across our products, and our continued partnership with Hyosung plays a key role in delivering against this commitment,” said Maria Srivastava, chief impact officer, PANGAIA. “Our exploration of the use of biosynthetics such as Hyosung’s regen Bio spandex in our products helps us move away from ubiquitous materials and emphasizes our philosophy as a brand to building a responsibly made apparel business that gives back more than it takes.”
The brand’s goal is “to provide its customers with products that are fully bio-based and more circular,” and each of the current garments within the Hyosung collection are predominantly made from renewable resources, with the end product being 90 percent or more bio-based. “We have a very engaged community from whom we continue to learn and receive feedback about our products as well as questions about the introduction of categories such as activewear,” said Srivastava.
PANGAIA’s commitment to bio-based spandex is part of its overall initiative to “people and planet,” and it has paid off. For its work to promote ethical sourcing and improved working conditions across the apparel supply chain, PANGAIA was recently awarded “leader” status by Fair Wear Foundation as part of their Brand Performance Check.
Consumers across the board are also more attuned to what it takes to make sustainable fashion and better understand the premium, but truly making material innovation “the new normal” remains a challenge. Continuous message reinforcement is essential to move the needle. “New generations of consumers connect with brands who are both socially and environmentally responsible — they look at brands and ask what they do for the world,” said Srivastava. “As a brand that produces products for a reason, rather than just for a season, we hope to help consumers understand how to make better choices through the products we offer.”
Hyosung admits that the road is long for a fully circular spandex, but industry commitment will drive further innovation. “It’s one of the bets that we’re placing,” said Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, global sustainability director, Hyosung. “So now we’ve got a route to spandex that’s made from renewable sources, and then ultimately, we’ll have made that spandex recyclable. That’s the overall direction of travel for us. Our sort of True North.”
Even so, he added, in the future, it won’t be so much about “renewables or recyclables,” but total environmental impact. “If you think about how much spandex is made every year, if you can take 10 percent of that total by 2050 and convert it to renewable, the reduction in carbon emissions is huge,” he said.
Highlighting its commitment to renewable materials in the fashion/apparel market, Hyosung will be participating at the Future Fabrics Expo in London, June 25 to 26. For more information on Hyosung, click here.