Patagonia announced it is collaborating with Natural Fiber Welding Inc. (NFW) to develop and scale circular solutions in textiles.

Patagonia said that the materials industry has relied on plastics and plastic coatings to achieve a level of performance for activewear and other high-durability materials. The brand will use Natural Fiber Weldings’ Claurus technology platform that uses a closed-loop chemistry process to engineer yarn structures to compete with synthetics.

“The ability to incorporate recycled natural fibers in a textile that is durable and has enhanced performance is an exciting and very innovative technology with potential for high impact in the industry,” said Sara Hayes, director of materials development, Patagonia. “NFW’s fiber welding technology enables entirely natural materials to provide synthetic-equivalent performance properties, such as abrasion resistance and moisture management.”

Photo courtesy Patagonia