Renewable Lycra fibre uses dent corn grown primarily in Iowa, USA, as a feedstock.
9th October 2026
Innovation in Textiles
| Vancouver, Canada
Sustainable, Clothing/Footwear
The Lycra Company will highlight progress in producing spandex from renewable raw materials and developing textile-to-textile recycling technology at the Textile Exchange Conference 2026, taking place in Vancouver, Canada, from October 12-16.
The company has now reached commercial-scale production of its Renewable Lycra fibre, which contains 70% plant-based material, while continuing to develop processes for recovering and recycling spandex from waste textiles.
The renewable fibre uses dent corn grown primarily in Iowa, USA, as a feedstock to replace a significant proportion of the petroleum-derived raw materials traditionally used in spandex production.
According to a comparative life cycle assessment conducted by Ramboll this year, the bio-based fibre can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 45% compared to conventional Lycra fibre, while maintaining equivalent stretch and recovery properties. The assessment specifically compares fibres made with bio-derived and fossil-derived polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), a key component in spandex production.
Alongside this commercial development, Lycra is working with textile recycling specialists to address one of the more difficult challenges facing the industry – the recovery of elastane from blended fabrics.
Spandex is widely used in combination with polyester, nylon and other fibres to provide stretch and shape retention, but its presence complicates conventional textile recycling processes.
Over the past few years, Lycra has collaborated with recycling companies worldwide to develop methods of separating spandex from other fibres in pre-consumer textile waste and processing the recovered material into new spandex fibres.
This work has resulted in a pilot-stage recycling system, although further investment in infrastructure and processing capacity will be required before Lycra fibre containing recycled spandex can be manufactured commercially.
“Bringing more recycled and renewable materials to commercial scale is essential to turning the industry’s ambitions into action,” said Alistair Williamson, vice president of product sustainability at The Lycra Company. “At Textile Exchange, we’ll feature how Renewable Lycra fibre is making that progress possible today, while delivering the stretch, fit and comfort consumers expect.”
He added that developing commercially viable textile-to-textile recycling systems would depend on cooperation across the supply chain, particularly in recovering spandex from end-of-life textiles.
The company will discuss both technologies with brands, mills and recycling partners at stand 18 during the Textile Exchange Conference, which this year takes the theme The Implementation Era, focusing on moving established sustainability technologies towards wider commercial adoption.