The Lycra Company partners Qore to launch renewable Lycra fiber
The Lycra Company has partnered Qore to launch a renewable Lycra fiber made with Qira. A cutting-edge, bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO) produced from dent corn, Qira serves as a renewable substitute for fossil-fuel-based BDO. This innovative material is crucial for developing sustainable spandex and elastane fibers. By transitioning from petrochemical feedstocks to corn-based Qira, The Lycra Company aims to substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain.
The new Lycra fiber featuring Qira is expected to be commercially available at scale by late 2025. This groundbreaking material will maintain the renowned performance, stretch, comfort, durability, and fit of traditional Lycra fiber, while offering a more environmentally friendly option for brands and consumers.
The first generation of renewable Lycra fiber made with Qira will use feedstock from field corn grown by Iowa farmers and will enable a significant reduction in CO2 footprint. In addition to replacing a finite resource with an annually renewable one, another benefit for mills, brands and retailers is that there is no change in fiber performance, eliminating the need for any re-engineering of fabrics, patterns, or processes.
According to Jon Veldhouse, CEO, Qira, this collaboration demonstrates Qira’s potential to improve the fiber’s sustainability profile, A innovative platform chemical, Qira can be used in various applications across industries, he adds.