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PrimaLoft Bio technology offers an answer to microplastics and a solution for garments’ eventual end of life.
Read our Sustsainabilty Spotlight Q&A with PrimaLoft here
LATHAM, N.Y. (September 2020) – PrimaLoft, Inc., the leader in advanced material technology, is partnering with more than 15 outdoor sports, fashion, lifestyle and home furnishing brands to introduce PrimaLoft® Bio™ to consumers this fall. PrimaLoft Bio is the first biodegradable*, 100% recycled synthetic insulation and performance fabric.
“The prevalent use of plastic in our society has a huge impact on our environment because of its inability to break down over time,” says Mike Joyce, president and CEO of PrimaLoft. “PrimaLoft Bio has been specifically designed to biodegrade* in the environments where most plastics eventually end up: landfills and ocean water.”
PrimaLoft Bio is comprised of high-performance fibers that are made from 100% recycled materials (mainly plastic bottles) that biodegrade* in specific environments such as landfills, oceans, and wastewater. At the same time, insulation and fabric made from PrimaLoft Bio fibers provide the same high-quality, durable performance as products with virgin polyester fibers – providing lightweight warmth and comfortable protection for a variety of activities and weather conditions.
Additionally, PrimaLoft Bio fibers are renewable in a circular economy as it’s possible to rejuvenate the fibers into new high-performance material, repeated time and again, without any loss in quality.
When PrimaLoft Bio is exposed to oceanwater, wastewater or landfill environments, naturally occurring microbes break down the fibers to their natural elements, without leaving behind any harmful waste. The fibers will be transformed over time into water, CO2, methane, biomass and humus – a common component of potting soil. And PrimaLoft Bio will do so at a dramatically faster rate than standard polyester. In accelerated test conditions, PrimaLoft Bio fibers reach near complete biodegradation in under two years, while standard polyester remains almost completely intact. Additionally, PrimaLoft Bio insulation and fabric degrade only in these specific environments, as its fibers are highly durable. They will not break down during use, in the washing machine or in the closet – for the full life of the garment.
According to a 2018 UN Environment report, only 9% of all plastic that has ever been produced has been recycled, with roughly 79% ending up in landfills or the natural environment. Approximately 8 million tons of plastic enter into the world’s oceans, each year.
Joyce adds, “PrimaLoft Bio is an important step forward in providing sustainable solutions for microfiber pollution, throughout the entire life-cycle of a product.”
The unique technology has enabled an impressive group of outdoor sports, fashion and home furnishing brands to join the PrimaLoft Bio community in setting sustainability forward. The first styles with PrimaLoft Bio will be available to consumers in upcoming fall 2020 collections from brands like 4F, ESKA, Goldwin, Herno, Horsefeathers, Icebug, Jack Wolfskin, Klättermusen, Maloja, Namuk, Norrøna, Reusch, Roeckl, Ternua, Traumina and Viking. Other brands like Helly Hansen, Houdini, Montane and Rossignol will follow with their own styles, in upcoming seasons.
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About PrimaLoft, Inc.
PrimaLoft, Inc., an advanced material technology company based in Latham, New York with offices in Xiamen, China, is the world leader in research and innovative development of comfort solutions with high performance insulations and fabrics. The PrimaLoft® brand, a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., delivers feel-good products that are used in the top global outdoor and fashion brands, home furnishings, work wear, hunting and military applications. PrimaLoft® insulation was originally developed for the U.S. army as a water-resistant, synthetic alternative to down. Today, the brand is recognized as a benchmark in the outdoor industry for providing unsurpassed comfort in any condition, ultimately empowering users to stay in the moment. PrimaLoft, Inc. is active in sustainable textile production through partnerships with the bluesign® system, the International OEKO-TEX® Association, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Index and the Global Recycled Standard. For more information, please visit www.PrimaLoft.com, and follow PrimaLoft on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PrimaLoft®, Feel the Performance™.
*93.8% biodegradation in 646 days under ASTM D5511 conditions (landfill environment). 76.6% biodegradation in 973 days under ASTM D6691 conditions (marine/ocean environment). 12.9% biodegradation in 120 days under ASTM D5210 conditions (wastewater environment). The stated rate and extent of degradation do not mean that the product will continue to degrade.
Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she’s terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com