Bionic Yarn and W.L. Gore convert ocean plastic into high-performance textiles

The material engineer company, Bionic Yarn and W.L. Gore & Associates (the creators of Gore-Tex technical fabric) have entered into a collaboration to transform ocean-bound plastic into high-performance fabrics.

Ed Rubin, from the Gore project. stated that they were very excited to work with Bionic Yarn on an important measure to reduce the flow of single-use plastics into the ocean. He added that together they believe they can make a difference by merging Bionic’s collection, recycling and infrastructure expertise along with Gore’s deep knowledge in technology, market scale and supply chain influence.

Bionic had also partnered with brands like Chanel, Timberland and H&M to introduce its unique material development. Gore-Tex is a technical fabric identified by the industry to be waterproof and breathable and has been utilised by Nike, Adidas, Supreme and Palace.

Gore has recently invested in Bionic Yarns by purchasing equity shares. The companies have been working hand in hand for quite a few years. The collaboration has built the collection and the processing infrastructure aims to become Defacto municipal collection organisation in a small coastal community of Santa Teresa. The team will focus on a beach clean up measures to advance their technology and sustain a healthier community. The patented establishment pledge to be transparent, traceable and ensure quality assurance throughout the process.

Rubin stated that as they grow they hope to expand their mission to other risk control communities inside and outside Costa Rica. The companies aim to add end-of-life garment recycling into the scope of the project. Although there are many fabrics realised from ocean waste already on the market, the company is aiming to introduce unmatchable performance textiles to not only promote business but ensure longevity.

Rubin stated that by up-cycling the ocean-bound plastic they can produce high-performance outdoor apparel. The tests have shown promising results and the textiles realised seem to be durable. The new collaboration will help test the traceable supply of high-performance recycled textiles as a value created in the market.

The project is in the initial stage of development and has just completed the initial shipment of 10 tons of ocean and ocean-bound plastic waste transformation into his-performance yarns and textiles.