Certified B Corporation and Gap Inc. brand Athleta is said to be the first performance apparel brand to adopt Ambercycle’s cycora at scale with the rollout expected from 2026.
Circular polyester start-up Ambercycle has a proprietary molecular regeneration technology that uses discarded polyester as feedstock to produce cycora, a material that offers a sustainable alternative and claims to replicate the quality of virgin-grade polyester.
The start-up said this approach reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the dependency on landfilling or incinerating end-of-life textiles.
Athleta CEO Chris Blakeslee said: “As a mission-driven, B Corp-certified brand, Athleta is committed to reducing our environmental footprint by using recycled materials like cycora, which not only aligns with our values but also meets our uncompromising quality standards.”
Ambercycle's CEO Shay Sethi highlighted the significance of the collaboration: “As the demand for circular materials rises, we are delighted to collaborate with like-minded brands in the performance sector, such as Athleta. Together, we are not only creating high-quality garments but also driving forward the circular fashion movement.”
Gap Inc. head of global sustainability Dan Fibiger added: "Gap Inc. is committed to evolving our supply chain and product development process in ways that help us deliver innovative products for our customers while reducing our environmental footprint.”
“Ambercycle’s technology for transforming end-of-life textiles into new materials not only enables a more sustainable supply of high-performance fabrics, but it has the potential to cut waste and emissions and has the potential to advance circularity at scale.”
