From take, make, waste to reduce, reuse, recycle: that’s the shift taking place in the global textile industry (and many others) today. In fact, the industry is facing pressure on multiple fronts – from governments, investors, and consumers alike – to adopt more sustainable solutions and mitigate the significant environmental impact of the manufacturing, shipping, and consumption of textiles. To make it happen, cross-value-chain efforts need to be implemented by both product and material manufacturers.
Backing bio-circular feedstock
As a market leader in ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and as part of the Avient family, Dyneema® is dedicated to protecting natural resources and supporting the recycling and repurposing of end-of-use products made with our fibers. After all, we have a responsibility to deliver products that protect our planet as well as its people.
That’s why we introduced the world’s first-ever bio-circular high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber in 2020. Sourced from renewable, bio-circular feedstock using the mass balance approach, Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular raw material reduces our reliance on fossil-based resources – without compromising on performance, protection, comfort, or durability. The result? When integrated into high-performance fabrics and protective knitwear, our solution provides a more sustainable alternative for outdoor, sport, and lifestyle products as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) for manufacturing applications.
Dyneema®: Making safety more sustainable
Let’s zoom in on PPE for a moment. When Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular feedstock makes up a significant portion of the material composition of fabrics or protective knitwear, it enables unique reductions in the product’s overall carbon footprint. For example, life-cycle assessment calculations show that cut-resistant gloves (cut level 4 performance) made with Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular feedstock generate only 2,800 kg of CO2 emissions per 10,000 pairs – that's 6 times lower than aramid fiber. What’s more, industrial fabrics with more than 70% Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular feedstock also have a lower carbon footprint than fabrics made with generic polyethylene or other fossil-derived synthetic materials like polyamide and polyester.
But what about performance?
Great news: Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular feedstock delivers the same outstanding performance and durability as conventional Dyneema®. In fact, it’s the perfect drop-in solution for applications where the world’s strongest fiber™ is already used. Many industry leaders in the outdoor market have already completed the switch to Dyneema® fiber from bio-circular feedstock across their product portfolios – benefiting from greater sustainability without sacrificing performance.
Meet the CirculariTeam®
We wanted to go further to improve the environmental impact of Dyneema®-based products across our value chain – and so our cross-industry coalition was born. The CirculariTeam® addresses the recycling and repurposing of end-of-use products made with Dyneema® fiber across three industry segments, one of which is textiles and clothing.
Working together with other industry leaders, we’ll address seven key themes:
Reverse logistics
Recycle and reuse
Efficiency in production processes
Separation of waste into material components
Design for circularity
Regulation
Information sharing
Sustainability starts at home
Customer collaboration? Check. Material innovation? Check. And we’re also committed to responsible manufacturing targets, to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, we’ve already far surpassed our original ambition of using 75% renewable electricity at our fiber manufacturing facilities by 2030: in fact, we hit the full 100% back in 2021.
All of this adds up to more sustainable solutions for the textile industry – helping to deliver protective fabric and knitwear products that care for the safety of people and the health of our planet, now and in the future.
Contact our experts
Interested in learning more about Dyneema® for your project or end-use application? Reach out to our team of experts today.
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