World’s first fleece jacket made from biomass

UPM Biochemicals and VAUDE,  a sustainable and innovative supplier of outdoor apparel, will produce outerwear made with bio-based chemicals and demonstrate that the textile industry can start the shift towards renewable materials.

In close collaboration, UPM and VAUDE will produce the first ever fleece jacket made from wood-based polyester. A small step with big impact as it will help close the gap between recycled fibres and sustainable virgin fibres and take performance fashion beyond fossils.

The resin used to make polyester contains 30% monoethylene glycol (MEG) which is traditionally sourced from crude oil. In UPM and VAUDE’s process this ingredient will be entirely replaced with a new bio-monoethylene glycol (BioMEG), UPM’s BioPura™. BioPura™ is a drop-in solution that can be easily implemented into existing polyester manufacturing processes as it is identical to currently used MEG on a molecular basis.

Partnerships across the whole value chain are a prerequisite for enhancing sustainable innovations across various industries. In this case, Indorama Ventures, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, will polymerize and spin a polyester yarn containing UPM’s BioPuraTM BioMEG at its German site in Guben. Pontetorto, a leading textile manufacturer located in Prato, Italy, will then process this yarn into a novel, bio-based polyester fabric which VAUDE will use to produce the final garment.

“This partnership shows that transformative steps in the chemical industry towards renewable materials are possible now,” says Michael Duetsch, Vice President Biochemicals at UPM. “We are prototyping a world beyond fossils with VAUDE, proving that the next level of sustainable textiles is available. VAUDE sets an example in breaking away from oil-based textiles and reducing emission reductions that the whole industry must follow.”

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“Sustainability and product longevity go hand in hand: VAUDE products are characterized by a timeless design, robust materials and simple reparability. However, a product only becomes truly sustainable if it is used for as long as possible,” said René Bethmann, Senior Innovation Manager at VAUDE.

“By incorporating UPM’s bio-based materials, we are able to further explore and unlock the power of renewable circularity – to use less, source from renewable sources, and ensure the product can remain in the value chain after its useful life.”

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