Australian environmental technology startup Samsara Eco has announced a partnership with Canadian sportswear brand Lululemon. The multi-year collaboration will see Samsara Eco produce the world’s first infinitely recycled nylon 6.6 and polyester, while Lululemon aims to expand its circular economy.
Together, the two companies will produce new recycled nylon and polyester from garment waste, creating greener alternatives to key materials in the apparel industry, Samsara Eco said in a statement. Lululemon said that through the partnership, it is aiming to make infinitely recycled nylon and polyester from its own products using the startup’s circular process. “Nylon remains our biggest opportunity to achieve our 2030 sustainable product goals,” said Yogendra Dandapure, Lululemon’s VP, raw material innovation. The partnership builds on Lululemon’s “Be Planet” goals, which aim to create a circular ecosystem by 2030, primarily through the use of sustainable materials, shopping experiences such as its re-commerce program and the recycling of textiles into textiles.
Lululemon, founded in Canada in 1998, will take a minority stake in Samsara Eco as part of the multi-year agreement. For Samsara Eco, founded in 2020, the partnership comes just seven months after the company raised $56 million in funding, significantly accelerating its commercialization plans.
