Ralph Lauren invests in Natural Fibre Welding for mutual benefits

Ralph Lauren Corporation has invested in Natural Fiber Welding Inc.(NFW), which is a sustainable material science that focuses on revolutionizing the reuse of natural fibers such as cotton waste, into patented high-performance materials. Ralph Lauren will help scale the NFW’s patented processes through this investment and develop the first performance apparel made from natural, sustainable materials.

David Lauren, Vice Chairman & Chief Innovation Officer at Ralph Lauren stated that they have evolved and progressed their business for over 50 years as they constantly push themselves to think openly and differently on how to approach challenges.

He further states that sustainability is given higher importance in today’s times and investing in partners to scale innovative solutions is a key part of their sustainability strategies. He believes that NFW are the pioneers in the filed and he is excited to extend a helping hand. He concludes by stating that the NFW’s technology has the power to not only advance their work but also enforce positive changes across the industry.

In general, recycled cotton cannot be used in new cotton apparel due to the short fibers created during recycling. NFW, established in 2015, has overcome this challenge with an innovative process that welds short fibers into longer fibers to create high cotton performance yarns that incorporate cotton and other plant-based waste fibers. The company stated that the result outshines any synthetic fabric while retaining the comfortable feel of cotton.

Dr. Luke Haverhals, Founder and CEO of NFW said that he was excited to have the investment and expertise of Ralph Lauren, who he believes is an industry icon committed to timelessness and has ensured sustainability is central to who they are. He further adds that he looks forward to working together as they scale their best in class technology that carries the potential to transform the companies approach to fabric and sourcing.

This investment should expand Ralph Lauren’s utilization of recycled post-consumer cotton and help the company advance towards sourcing 100% of its key materials, including cotton by 2025. This will assist the company achieve its zero waste principal across the businesses. This collaboration in time will reduce Ralph Lauren’s dependency on non-biodegradable synthetics, like polyester and nylon, and ensure scaling of sustainable materials along with upcycled materials.