Sportswear and activewear brand Lululemon has started a multiyear collaboration with sustainable material manufacturer Genomatica to bring renewably-sourced, bio-based materials into Lululemon products. This new step represents the activewear specialist’s first equity investment in a sustainable materials company and Genomatica’s largest partnership within the retail industry. Together, the two companies aim to create a lower-impact, plant-based nylon to replace conventional nylon, a key component of Lululemon products.
Genomatica uses biotechnology and fermentation to convert plant-based ingredients into widely used chemical building blocks, like those used to make nylon. These are converted to pellets and yarns and the companies will be working closely with Lululemon’s fabric supply chain to incorporate this material into future products. Through this collaboration, the companies seek to create positive change within the US$22 billion global nylon market by building more sustainable supply chains. 
Calvin McDonald, CEO, Lululemon, said: “Our partnership with and investment in Genomatica demonstrates our commitment to be a leader in creating products that help build a healthier future for ourselves, for our communities and for our planet. Genomatica's bio-based innovations, along with their distinctive track record of successful commercial applications, will help us deliver on our Impact Agenda goals to make 100% of our products with sustainable materials and end-of-use solutions by 2030, as we move toward a circular ecosystem.”
In October 2020, Lululemon released its first-ever Impact Agenda, outlining its environmental goals and multiyear strategies toward a more equitable, sustainable and healthy future. Among the company’s most virtuous targets there are, in addition to using 100% sustainable materials for its products by 2030, to use at least 75% sustainable materials for its products by 2025 and offer its consumers new options to extend the life of their products by 2025. Also part of its goals is the aim to reduce freshwater use intensity by 50% to manufacture its products and reduce single use plastic packaging by 50% by 2025.
The collaboration with Genomatica is one of the ways Lululemon aims to bring new, sustainable innovation to its raw materials. Additional examples include the company’s partnership with Mylo, to use a mycelium-based leather, and LanzaTech, for polyester made using recycled carbon emissions.
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Genomatica uses biotechnology and fermentation to convert plant-based ingredients into widely used chemical building blocks, like those used to make nylon. These are converted to pellets and yarns and the companies will be working closely with Lululemon’s fabric supply chain to incorporate this material into future products. Through this collaboration, the companies seek to create positive change within the US$22 billion global nylon market by building more sustainable supply chains.
Photo: Lululemon
Lululemon has started a collaboration with sustainable material manufacturer Genomatica.
In October 2020, Lululemon released its first-ever Impact Agenda, outlining its environmental goals and multiyear strategies toward a more equitable, sustainable and healthy future. Among the company’s most virtuous targets there are, in addition to using 100% sustainable materials for its products by 2030, to use at least 75% sustainable materials for its products by 2025 and offer its consumers new options to extend the life of their products by 2025. Also part of its goals is the aim to reduce freshwater use intensity by 50% to manufacture its products and reduce single use plastic packaging by 50% by 2025.
The collaboration with Genomatica is one of the ways Lululemon aims to bring new, sustainable innovation to its raw materials. Additional examples include the company’s partnership with Mylo, to use a mycelium-based leather, and LanzaTech, for polyester made using recycled carbon emissions.
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