Stiches make riches

Welcome back to the Strawman, the daily climate newsletter that’s like going for a cycle with friends - we get your heart rate up and get your muscles working (the brain’s a muscle right?)

Today, we’re talking about a new infinite recycling glitch - let’s dive in.

The Trouble with Plastic: Why Recycling Isn't Enough

If you’re a pro at recycling, you probably whisper “Kobe” every time you chuck paper, plastic, or cans into your recycling bin.

When it comes to plastics, especially those found in textiles like nylon and polyester, recycling is not the straightforward solution we'd like it to be. These materials, found in about 60% of the clothing produced today, have a disturbingly persistent life cycle.

Unlike a disposable paper cup or an aluminum soda can, these plastics are derived from fossil fuels, and their complex chemical structures make them particularly hard to break down and recycle.

Ever wondered why so many of our clothes end up in the bin, rather than the recycling pile? It's because recycling these types of textiles is, at present, a technical and economic challenge. In fact, only a fraction of textiles are currently recycled, and a staggering 87% of them end up in a landfill or are incinerated at the end of their lives.

Why such a gloomy fate? The current recycling processes for these materials have many limitations.

• First, they require a considerable amount of energy, which makes them economically unattractive and not so eco-friendly after all.

• Second, they often lead to a downgraded product, meaning recycled nylon and polyester fibers are of lesser quality than their virgin counterparts.

This downcycling process reduces the appeal for manufacturers to use recycled materials, perpetuating our reliance on newly produced plastics.

Samsara Eco & Lululemon: A Fashion Revolution

Samsara Eco, a small company with big dreams and $56 million in backing, has partnered with Lululemon to hatch a plan that could revolutionize not only fashion but also how we think about recycling.

The duo aims to create the world’s first infinitely recycled nylon 6,6 and polyester from apparel waste.

The science behind this is as incredible as it sounds. Samsara's technology uses enzymes—those little natural catalysts we often thank for our digestion—to break down these indestructible textiles back into their molecular building blocks. It's like unzipping a sweater into individual threads, but on a molecular level.

And the best part? The process can be repeated over and over again, hence the "infinite recycling."

Beyond Apparel: The Promising Future of Infinite Recycling

This partnership, however, is just the beginning. Samsara and Lululemon have big plans to scale circularity through textile-to-textile recycling for the performance apparel industry and beyond. You see, Samsara's plastic-eating enzymes aren't picky eaters—they'll happily chomp on plastics from a variety of industries, making this a potential game-changer in our shift away from new fossil fuel-made plastics.

With a target to recycle 1.5 million tonnes of plastic annually by 2030, and Lululemon's Be Planet goal aiming for 100% sustainability and circularity in its products by the same year, it's clear that both companies are not just talking the talk but also walking the eco-friendly walk.

Until next time,

The Strawman