#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-04-08

PrimaLoft introduces fully recycled ethical down alternative, PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume®

PrimaLoft, Inc., a global leader in advanced material technology, has launched a new version of his best-selling down alternative, PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume®. This synthetic fill is now made entirely out of post-consumer recycled materials. Four years after the introduction of the first blowable synthetic insulation, the technology has built a strong reputation in the outdoor apparel & fashion markets, with more than 70 brands using the loose-fill microfiber insulation in their product lines for the Fall/Winter ‘21/’22 season.

It looks like down, feels like down, and delivers comparable thermal performance, but PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume® is 100% synthetic – and now 100% recycled.

“When we first developed PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume® back in 2017, we answered the growing demand from designers, brands, and customers for an ethical alternative to animal product – a purchase criterion that is becoming ever more important. At the same time, we continued to deliver the excellent performance people expect from PrimaLoft® products”, says Mike Joyce, president and CEO at PrimaLoft. “To achieve the same level of comfort and warmth in a completely recycled version is a logical next step in our Relentlessly Responsible™ approach to elevates both sustainability and performance through innovation.”

PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume® is manufactured with small, silky fiber plumes that collectively form a loose-fill insulation. It mimics the fluidity, hand-feel and aesthetics of down, but also has the proven water-repellent properties of PrimaLoft® fibers to provide a soft, compressible thermal output, even in wet conditions.

“Its construction allows it to be blown through traditional down-blowing manufacturing equipment, simplifying the manufacturing process for brands and enabling product designers the freedom to create versatile garments that combine the look and feel of down with the water-resistant performance of a synthetic”, states Vanessa Mason, SVP of Engineering at PrimaLoft. “Moreover, it helps to simplify the supply chain, combat the volatility of down prices and provide peace of mind when it comes to the ethical sourcing of materials.”

More than 70 brands to use PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume®?This synthetic down alternative has been adopted by outdoor and fashion brands all over the globe, since its 2017 introduction. Even before the new 100% recycled iteration, around 40 brands were using PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume® in their collection. For the upcoming FW21/22 season, and with the introduction of PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume 100% PCR, the number will raise drastically to over 70, with more than half already switching to the fully recycled version. Brands like 4F, CMP, Ecoalf, Ellesse, Fred Perry, Joe Fresh, Lands’ End, La Sportiva, Millet, Montane, Nike, Peuterey, Picture Organic Clothing, Polo Ralph Lauren, Rossignol, Salomon, Timberland and Woolrich will sell garments with the synthetic down alternative online and in stores, in the upcoming seasons.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s December 2025 plastics package.

Geotextiles made from recycled materials: GREEN leads the way into the industry

For the industry, recycled materials are creating new opportunities in geotextile production. In the GREEN project, the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE demonstrates that recycled polypro-pylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and high-density polyeth-ylene (HDPE) can be processed into nonwovens, fibers, and membranes that meet industrial requirements. This creates opportunities for use in existing production lines and new value chains in the geotextile market.

ReHubs elects new Board of Directors to lead the next phase of ReHubs’ strategy to recycle 2.7 million tonnes of textile waste annually by 2035

ReHubs has elected its new Board of Directors, marking an important milestone as the industry alliance continues to accelerate the industrial scale-up of textile-to-textile recycling across Europe. The election took place during the ReHubs Annual Event in Brussels on June 23rd, held alongside the Textile Recycling Expo and Future Fabrics Expo. The newly elected Board combines expertise from across the textile value chain, reflecting ReHubs' collaborative approach to solving the industry’s textile waste crises.

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

DyStar releases FY2025 sustainability report, marking a new milestone towards its 2030 targets

DyStar, a leading specialty chemicals company with more than a century of expertise in product development and innovation, today announced the release of its FY2025 Sustainability Report, marking a significant milestone in its sustainability journey and reinforcing its commitment to long-term value creation.

TERIS reaches milestone: Fraunhofer consortium develops new standards for tire analysis

In the “TERIS” project, the Fraunhofer institutes ICT, IGD, and IWM—led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF—have reached a decisive milestone. For the first time, the teams aim to generate, analyse, and predict tire wear in the laboratory in a standardized and practical manner. As part of this milestone, results are now available on reference abrasion, particle analysis, tribological models, AI-based surface analysis, a test bench concept, and methods for accelerated aging and VOC detection. The tire industry, testing services, and environmental agencies will in future benefit from reliable, rapid laboratory procedures for emissions assessment.