DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF DENIM
LYCRA® brand and LaundRe denim lab partner to make sustainable stretch denim a textile industry staple
Apr 06, 2026
Less water, less fossil fuels, fewer harsh chemicals — we’re all striving for a smaller ecological footprint across the textile value chain. That’s why the LYCRA® brand is ALL IN on collaborating with partners who are striving to create a more sustainable future for our industry.
Over the past year, we’ve been partnering with LaundRe in London, a sustainable denim finishing hub and training center for denim professionals. LaundRe is committed to pioneering more eco-friendly denim processes and products, and collaborates with designers, brands, and industry groups to champion a different future. We’ve been proud to highlight renewable LYCRA® fiber at the LaundRe site, showing off our plant-based spandex derived from 70% corn, now available to all.
EMBRACING SUSTAINABLE DENIM
Last week, LaundRe hosted Denim Deal Day, a full-day event programmed by Denim Deal, a global initiative scaling the use of post-consumer recycled cotton in denim and building a more sustainable denim industry. The day was packed with exciting talks (including one hosted by our senior strategic account manager Helen Latham, picture above), compelling workshops, and opportunities to connect with partners. London became a gathering point for the full denim ecosystem: weavers, brands, retailers, recyclers, denim professionals, and sustainability pioneers, with many showing recycled cotton fabric collections.
"LaundRe and Denim Deal are on the cutting edge of the sustainable denim revolution. With the power of renewable LYCRA® fiber and more sustainable spandex innovations on the horizon, we’re all working to build a new denim value chain that’s made with the planet in mind."
Helen Latham
Senior strategic account manager, brands and retail
The LYCRA Company
PLANT-BASED SPANDEX IS JUST THE BEGINNING
As the LYCRA® brand evolves its portfolio of stretch denim fibers, including our plant-based spandex offering, we’re also partnering to develop spandex recycling solutions to create a fully circular textile ecosystem. Spandex has long been a challenge for mechanical fabric recyclers, but chemical recycling innovations from scientists at the University of Technology, Vienna, have proven promising. We’re working with several recyclers to pilot spandex-recycling programs that take old materials and turn them into new fibers for reuse in fabrics.
If your brand or mill is interested in learning more about our spandex recycling initiatives or adopting renewable LYCRA® fiber, contact our team. Our fiber experts are ready to dream big with you and spin up a more sustainable future.