Aug 07, 2025 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --
Scaling next-gen material innovations could be the key to unlocking decarbonisation in the apparel sector, according to a report from the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii).
In its Taking Stock of Progress Against the Roadmap to Net Zero 2025 report, the Aii identifies three next-gen material innovators and points out how they are growing in popularity among fashion brands and retailers.
The Aii report does, however, point out that the sector is in its infancy and will need much investment and interest before it is able to make a significant impact.
Compared with currently available materials such as recycled polyester or cotton, these next-gen materials are generally in the early stages of development and/or usage, and thus their environmental benefits are not fully clear (though there is an assumption that the benefits are promising).
aEURoeTo illustrate, according to Textile Exchange, textile-to-textile polyester recycling is roughly 2% of all recycled polyester, while bio-based polyamide is just 0.5% of all global polyamide.
aEURoeUltimately, next-generation preferred materials will need to meet the quality and cost requirements of buyers and be integrated into a complex, global supply chain. But, we are seeing considerable investment in and activity from a variety of innovators.aEUR
Three next-gen material innovations and how they are being used.
AmbercycleAmbercycleaEUR(TM)s first product, cycora, a recycled fibre from polyester textile waste, is reported to have half the GHG emissions of conventional polyester.
Who is using it and how?
Inditex has committed ae70m ($80.33m) over three years to buy Cycora
Athleta plans to use the material from 2026
MAS Holdings has entered into a three-year off-take agreement for cycora
Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation invested $10m in AmbercycleaEUR(TM)s commercial plant.
SyreFounded in 2024 by Vargas and H&M, Syre aspires to produce 3m tonnes of circular polyester and abate a minimum of 15m tonnes of CO2e by 2032.
Who is using it and how?
In April 2025, Syre signed a memorandum of understanding with Binh Dinh province in Vietnam to build a gigascale-sized facility (100k to 250k tonnes of chips per year)
This follows news of partnering with Selenis to open a facility in North Carolina, US, and raising $100m in its series A funding round
H&M has entered into an offtake agreement with Syre to spend $600m over seven years
Syre announced Gap and Target as launch partners.
CircCirc is a US-based textile recycling technology company.
Who is using it and how?
In May 2025, Circ announced that it received support from the French government and European Union to build a ae450m textile recycling plant with a capacity of 70k tonnes per year
This follows Q1 2025 news of $25m in new funding from companies, including Inditex and Avery Dennison to scale its textile recycling technology
Last month (June), it partnered with SelenisAto process and polymerise thousands of metric tons of Circ Polyester at an industrial scale
And this month it announced a strategic alliance with Tangshan Sanyou Group's Sanyou Chemical Fiber to expand access to recycled cellulosic fibres, specifically Lyocell, in China.
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