As sustainability becomes a top priority for consumers and the fashion industry, innovative solutions that balance environmental responsibility and scalability are crucial. Enter The Lycra Company’s collaboration with Qore, which is ushering in a new era of bio-derived materials.
In this exclusive Q&A, Gary Smith, chief executive officer of The Lycra Company, and Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore, delve into the game-changing potential of bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira. They discuss how this innovation supports carbon reduction, improves supply chain transparency and sets a new standard for circular fashion — all while delivering the performance and quality the industry demands.
WWD: As consumer demand for sustainable products grows, scalability has often been a stumbling block for bio-derived innovations. Can you elaborate on the significance of Qore’s 65-kiloton production capacity and how this will enable brands to adopt bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira at scale without compromising on quality or performance?
Jon Veldhouse: As consumer demand for more sustainable products increases, the ability to produce at scale becomes a critical step in making these products a viable option. With this level of production, Qore can offer a consistent supply, resulting in reliable volumes. Furthermore, producing at a larger scale ensures consistent quality, allowing Qore to meet the high standards for quality and performance.
Gary Smith: By using Qira, the bio-derived ingredient that Qore provides, The Lycra Company will be able to convert up to 30 percent of our current spandex production capacity to renewable Lycra fiber. This bio-derived offering has the same chemical structure as our original Lycra fiber — it uses a different route (fermentation) and feedstock (corn versus fossil-based resources) to achieve the same result. For mills, brands and retailers, this means no reengineering of fabrics, processes, or garment patterns and equivalent performance to the original Lycra fiber.
WWD: Regarding the challenges of supply chain transparency, how is The Lycra Company working with brands and manufacturers to ensure the adoption of this sustainable fiber across the value chain?
G.S.: Traceability is critical across the entire value chain — from farm to finished garment. Like Qore, we are working to achieve ISCC [International Sustainability and Carbon Certification] Plus certification, allowing customers to track and trace the product throughout the value chain, and USDA Bio-Preferred Certification to confirm the fiber’s specific bio-derived content. These certifications will empower mills, brands, and ultimately consumers to choose this product with confidence. By promoting verified traceability, we’re driving transparency and creating added value and stronger business outcomes across the supply chain.
J.V.: Dent corn for Qira is locally sourced within a 100-mile radius of our Eddyville plant in Iowa. Qore has established long-term relationships with its farmers, enabling transparency from the very beginning of the process. For example, customers, manufacturers, and brands are invited to visit Iowa farms to explore this process firsthand. Qira supports its sustainability claims with both data and certifications, such as ISCC Plus and the USDA’s BioPreferred program.
WWD: With sustainability becoming a key metric for consumers and stakeholders alike, what role does bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira play in helping retailers and brands meet their carbon reduction commitments? How can this new innovation be a differentiator in a competitive marketplace?
G.S.: Bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira is composed of 70 percent renewable content and has the potential to deliver a reduced carbon footprint by up to 44 percent. It will also enable our customers to reduce their product footprints as they look to strategic suppliers like us for solutions to help them meet their sustainability targets. The response we have received has been overwhelmingly positive, and several leading brands and retailers have traveled out to Iowa to tour the Qore facility and learn more about this innovation firsthand. They appreciate this product’s transparency and traceability, which is a key differentiator in the marketplace.
[Watch the video: From Farm to Fiber]
J.V.: Bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira offers a lower PCF [product carbon footprint] compared to conventional petroleum-based options. It is a drop-in solution; current manufacturing needs to make minimal to no changes, and the compatibility for circular design principles remains unchanged from conventional petro-based. This fiber also supports carbon reduction in Scope 3 emissions, helping brands reach their science-based targets.
WWD: The partnership with Qore not only reduces carbon emissions, but also supports local farming communities and creates jobs through its Iowa-based production facility. Could you discuss how this initiative exemplifies the intersection of environmental sustainability and economic opportunity?
J.V.: The Qore facility was built in south central Iowa and was able to bring in full-time employment locally to the area. The building of the facility has also created numerous jobs and added to the local economy. Additionally, building this facility in rural Iowa provides a unique corn market for our local farmers, allowing for new income sources. The facility is powered by approximately 90 percent renewable wind power, utilizes advanced technologies to recycle water used in the process, and includes heat reclaims to ensure the facility is both highly automated and efficient.
WWD: Beyond the development of bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira, The Lycra Company is also working on circularity initiatives, such as fibers that can be re-spun into new materials. How does this multifaceted approach to sustainability enhance the durability, recyclability, and longevity of garments, and what might the future of circular fashion look like?
G.S.: Our vision is to reduce the use of fossil-based ingredients by starting with renewable or recycled inputs, making fibers that are as durable as possible for a long wear life, and at the end of life, extracting spandex fibers from garments and recycling them into new fibers. With Qira, we are starting with a partly renewable input, making an extremely durable fiber, and we are working with recyclers — today at pilot scale — to recycle spandex fibers. We believe circularity is critical for the industry to meet its sustainability objectives, but it will take time to build the necessary infrastructure to realize this goal entirely.
By developing processes today that enable recyclability, we are creating solutions for the future — not only for a garment’s first life but its second and third. The future of circular fashion is one where garments at the end of their life are part of a regenerative system that defines these garments as resources, not waste.
WWD: How do you see this innovation impacting the broader fashion apparel industry in terms of shifting consumer preferences and industry standards for sustainability?
G.S.: I see this innovation impacting consumer preference in several ways. Our consumer research showed that garments made with bio-derived or renewable materials appealed to consumers — especially Gen Z and Millennials. Lycra fiber is always the minority component in a fabric or garment, so if brands and retailers pair this new Lycra fiber with other renewable fiber options, they should have a strong value proposition for eco-conscious consumers.
Today, if we look at sustainable spandex offerings in the industry, we see a limited supply of recycled spandex. That’s because spandex producers are using their own fiber waste as feedstock, which by its very nature should be in limited supply as responsible producers should focus on minimizing waste in the first place. Bio-derived Lycra fiber made with Qira offers the industry a sustainable spandex option they can use at scale.
We hope this encourages broader innovation in biomaterials, such as nylon or polyester, pushing other fiber manufacturers to explore similar paths to create renewable or bio-derived offerings. Eventually, as the industry infrastructure develops, we will see bio-derived offerings that can be recycled at the end of life, thus closing the loop. That’s the ultimate vision.