Lululemon partners with Genomatica, to produce plant-based nylon

Lululemon Athletica announced a multi-year partnership with Genomatica, a leader in sustainable materials, to include renewably sourced, bio-based materials into Lululemon’s products.

This is lululemon’s first-ever equity investment in a sustainable materials firm, as well as Genomatica’s largest retail relationship. The two businesses will collaborate to develop a low-impact, plant-based nylon to replace conventional nylon, which is presently the most common synthetic material used in lululemon products.

Genomatica converts plant-based ingredients into commonly used chemical building blocks, such as those needed to manufacture nylon, using biotechnology and fermentation. These building blocks are transformed into pellets and yarns, and the firms will collaborate closely with Lululemon’s fabric supply chain to incorporate the material into future products. The firms hope to make a positive difference in the $22 billion global nylon industry by collaborating to establish more sustainable supply chains.

Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon, said that their partnership with and investment in Genomatica reflects their dedication to being a leader in producing goods that help build a healthy future for themselves, communities, and the planet. As they progress toward a circular ecosystem, Genomatica’s bio-based inventions, along with their unique track record of successful commercial applications, will help them achieve their Impact Agenda targets of making 100% of their goods using sustainable materials and end-of-use solutions by 2030, as they move toward a circular ecosystem.”

Genomatica CEO, Christophe Schilling, said that they’re delighted to collaborate with Lululemon, a firm that is taking significant action to help address the climate problem. By combining biotechnology, fermentation, and renewable feedstocks, they can disrupt the garment sector by promoting sustainable sourcing. This one-of-a-kind cooperation will assist fulfil rising customer demand for more ecologically responsible products while also serving as a model for consumer brand owners throughout the world.

Patty Stapp, VP, Raw Materials, Lululemon, said that replacing the petrochemicals that make up many popular materials with more sustainable alternatives is a big step forward in meeting their Impact Agenda goals. They will have an influence on almost half of the synthetic materials they utilize in their supply chain by switching to renewable nylon. They’ve seen Genomatica provide industry-changing bio-based materials on a commercial scale time and time again, and they’re sure that this relationship will transform the way they source goods while maintaining the high quality they’re recognized for.

Lululemon announced its first-ever Impact Agenda in October 2020, laying out lofty social and environmental goals as well as multi-year initiatives to create a more fair, sustainable, and healthy future.

One of the numerous ways Lululemon is introducing new, sustainable innovation to its raw materials is through its relationship with Genomatica. Other collaborations include Mylo, which uses a mycelium-based leather, and LanzaTech, which uses recovered carbon emissions to make polyester.