The company will showcase spandex containing 70% plant-based content and share progress on textile-to-textile recycling at the Vancouver event.
The LYCRA Company is preparing to showcase its Renewable LYCRA® fibre and textile recycling developments at the Textile Exchange Conference 2026, scheduled for October 12–16 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada. The presentation will highlight alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived spandex and technologies designed to improve textile circularity.
The company’s Renewable LYCRA® fibre contains 70% plant-based content, using dent corn grown in the United States as a key raw material. Much of the corn is sourced from Iowa, helping replace a significant proportion of the petroleum-derived inputs traditionally used in spandex production. The fibre is already being manufactured at commercial scale, representing a step towards bringing bio-based materials into mainstream textile supply chains.
According to a third-party-reviewed life-cycle assessment conducted by Ramboll in 2026, the fibre can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 45% compared with conventional LYCRA® fibre made using fossil-derived raw materials. The company also reports that the renewable version maintains equivalent stretch and recovery performance, addressing key requirements for apparel manufacturers and consumers. The reported reduction applies to the assessment’s defined comparison and should not be interpreted as a 45% reduction across the entire garment’s lifecycle.
Renewable LYCRA® fibre is intended for use in stretch textiles, where elasticity, fit, comfort and durability are important. Its plant-based content offers brands and textile manufacturers another material option as they explore ways to reduce dependence on fossil-based feedstocks. Commercial availability may also help supply-chain partners evaluate renewable fibres without compromising the performance characteristics expected from spandex.
The company will also present its progress in developing textile-to-textile recycling systems for spandex. Working with textile recyclers around the world, it has been refining processes to separate spandex from companion fibres such as nylon and polyester in pre-consumer textile waste. The recovered material can then be processed into new spandex fibre, supporting efforts to keep textile resources in productive use for longer. The recycling system remains at the pilot stage, with further infrastructure development required before recycled-content LYCRA® fibre can be produced at scale.
The conference presentation will reflect a wider industry focus on moving from sustainability commitments towards practical implementation. Textile Exchange’s 2026 event, themed “The Implementation Era,” brings together brands, manufacturers, material suppliers, farmers and sustainability organisations to discuss scaling preferred materials and production systems. Renewable feedstocks and fibre-to-fibre recycling are among the approaches being explored to improve the environmental performance of textile supply chains.
The LYCRA Company team will be available at booth 18 during the conference to discuss renewable fibre options, circularity initiatives and potential collaborations with brands, mills and other industry participants. The company aims to support the wider adoption of materials that combine improved resource efficiency with the stretch, fit and comfort required by the apparel sector.
By combining commercially produced plant-based spandex with ongoing recycling research, the company is addressing two different routes towards textile circularity: reducing reliance on fossil-based inputs and recovering materials from textile waste. The next challenge will be expanding these solutions across supply chains while maintaining product performance, commercial viability and reliable access to raw materials.