Latest news with #SamsaraEco
Fashion United
a day ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Lululemon to source 20 percent of fibre needs through Samsara Eco
Canadian sportswear, footwear and accessories brand Lululemon Athletica Inc. has entered into a 10-year agreement with Australian recycling company Samsara Eco. Through this partnership, Lululemon aims to source approximately 20 percent of its future nylon and polyester needs from Samsara's circular materials. The agreement forms part of Lululemon's broader sustainability strategy. The Canadian athleisure brand has faced scrutiny regarding the environmental impact of its products. For instance, the brand uses nylon 6,6 as a base fibre in many of its best-selling products, such as the Align and Wunder Train leggings. This fibre is difficult to recycle. In recent years, the company has taken several steps towards greater sustainability. It has collaborated with organisations such as the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), the Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC) and material innovation companies like Geno, ZymoChem and Samsara Eco. Samsara Eco developed a patented enzymatic technology called EosEco, which can break down synthetic fibres (including polyester and nylon 6,6) into their original raw materials. These can be reused in production processes without any loss of quality. The company was founded in 2020 at the Australian National University, with support from Main Sequence and W23, the venture capital arm of Woolworths Group. In 2023, Samsara Eco raised 100 million dollars in a Series A+ funding round led by investor Temasek. According to Samsara Eco founder and chief executive officer Paul Riley, the collaboration with Lululemon demonstrated that the technology for circular materials was ready for large-scale application. 'I am optimistic about what we can achieve together in the next ten years,' Riley told Forbes. On LinkedIn, Samsara Eco called the agreement 'one of the most significant offtake commitments for advanced recycled materials in recent years'. As part of the collaboration, Samsara Eco will expand its production capacity in Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, Australia. In addition, the opening of a commercial recycling plant is planned for 2028. Meanwhile, Lululemon continues to grow financially. The brand began in 1998 as a yoga label for women and has since grown into a global player. In the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, the company reported revenue growth of 17 percent to 2.37 billion dollars. Net profit decreased by over two percent to 314.6 million dollars. Lululemon has 711 stores worldwide, including locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
AU Financial Review
2 days ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Your new Lululemon gear could use recycled plastic from this start-up
Sydney-based recycling start-up Samsara Eco has inked a 10-year deal with leisurewear giant Lululemon to provide it with 20 per cent of its fibres for use across its collections. The agreement represents the most significant chapter in the emerging partnership between the Australian recycler and the Nasdaq-listed leggings specialist.
Miami Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Lululemon bets big on innovation and sustainability
I have a handful of really nice athletic jackets and shirts tucked away in my closet. They're in great shape, some barely worn - but for whatever reason, I never reach for them. And yet, I can't bring myself to throw them out. It just feels…wrong. Maybe it's the guilt of knowing where they'll end up. Because once performance gear is "done," there's nowhere for it to go. Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester don't break down. They're made from fossil fuels, are tough to recycle, and usually wind up in a landfill - or worse. Related: Lululemon finally releases product customers begged for And I'm not alone in that. According to the UN, the fashion industry contributes up to 10% of global carbon emissions - a stat that feels especially heavy when it's tied to brands built on self-improvement and wellness. So what do we do when even our feel-good clothes don't actually feel good anymore? Well, this activewear company may have just found an answer - not in a trend or a new product drop, but in a bold bet on the fabric of the future. In March 2025, Lululemon (LULU) announced a multi-year collaboration with a California biotech startup called ZymoChem. Together, they're working on a way to make one of Lululemon's go-to materials - nylon - more sustainable. Thats a big deal, since nylon is usually made from petroleum (think: fossil fuels) and is notoriously hard to recycle. The company says the new bio-based nylon they're developing will still have the same feel, performance, and quality fans expect. Think your favorite Align or Wunder Train leggings - just made in a cleaner, smarter way. Related: This Lululemon rival is thriving as trends take a turn This isn't Lululemon's first time investing in next-gen materials. In 2024, the brand teamed up with Australian startup Samsara Eco to launch the world's first enzymatically recycled nylon product. That breakthrough showed it's possible to recycle even the most complex performance fabrics. Now, Lululemon is doubling down. From new ways to make materials, to new ways to reuse them, the brand is betting that the future of fashion starts with the fabric. This isn't just a greenwashing PR play. Lululemon is backing these innovations with real investment and long-term strategy. Its partnerships with ZymoChem and Samsara Eco point to a broader push to develop products with preferred materials. That includes both bio-based inputs and circular design strategies that could reduce the company's exposure to fossil fuels and unstable global supply chains. And while these efforts signal progress for the planet, they also make serious business sense. The cost of raw materials remains a major pressure point across the fashion industry, especially as tariffs, inflation, and political tensions continue to disrupt sourcing. By investing in bio-based and recycled solutions, Lululemon may gain a pricing and sourcing edge - one that's both environmentally responsible and economically strategic. There's also the brand reputation boost. In a market where shoppers - and investors - are increasingly motivated by values, partnerships like these could enhance customer loyalty and open new doors with institutional stakeholders. For Lululemon, this isn't just about better leggings. It's about leading the next era of premium performance wear. Lululemon isn't just chasing trends - it's chasing the future of fashion, one fiber at a time. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KBR Selected as Key Commercialization Partner for Samsara Eco's First-of-a-Kind Enzymatic Recycling Plant
HOUSTON, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it will support biotech innovator, Samsara Eco, to design its first-of-a-kind plastics and textile enzymatic recycling plant, due for completion in early 2028. Samsara Eco's enzymatic recycling technology aims to create a continuous recycling loop for some of the most common types of plastic and synthetic fiber – materials that have traditionally been difficult or impossible to recycle. Powered by Samsara Eco's proprietary AI platform, the company's patented enzymes break down plastic to its original building blocks (monomers) which aim to allow plastics to be continuously remanufactured into new products without degradation in quality and with a low carbon footprint. Unlike other recycling methods, Samsara Eco's technology has demonstrated the recycling of notoriously difficult plastics, including nylon 6,6 and mixed fibers, as well as colored and dyed fabric blends. This breakthrough technology is expected to be critical towards achieving the goal of creating a circular loop for all plastics recycling, helping companies utilize resources and divert waste otherwise destined for landfills. Under the terms of the agreement, KBR will perform a pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) of the project by the end of Q2 2025. KBR's technical and commercial experts will then deliver a FEED engineering package for the process design to build a 20,000 metric tons per year commercial facility for nylon 6,6. 'KBR is uniquely equipped to deliver world-class solutions that help our customers bring sustainable technology to market, and we are thrilled to support Samsara Eco on this unique opportunity,' said Jay Ibrahim, President, KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. 'With this award, KBR continues to solidify our commitment to sustainability and technological innovation.' Paul Riley, Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco commented, 'We are charging full speed ahead to deliver our first-of-a-kind plant to fuel a circular economy and support our brand partners' ambition to create more circular products from low-carbon recycled materials. KBR brings unmatched engineering expertise. This will ensure we can design and build our facility with speed and precision. We're proud to have KBR in our corner, helping to bring our technology to industrial scale.' Samsara Eco is already working with leading brands including lululemon to swap virgin materials for recycled materials. Last year, it debuted the world's first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product. It also launched the first product made from enzymatically recycled polyester, creating lululemon's limited edition Packable Anorak jacket. At KBR, a more sustainable future begins now. About KBRWe deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in over 29 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit About Samsara EcoSamsara Eco is an Australian biotech on a mission to repair our planet through infinite plastic recycling. With our enzymatic recycling technology, EosEco™, we break down plastics and textiles to their original building blocks so they can be recreated into new products, infinitely. Our aim is to create a truly circular loop for plastics and textiles to reduce waste and the world's reliance on climate-damaging fossil fuels. Samsara Eco launched in 2021 in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU), and with backing from Main Sequence and the Woolworths Group. It has raised over AUD $150M from its growing supporters including Temasek, Breakthrough VIC, Greycroft, DCVC, CEFC, lululemon, Hitachi Ventures, Titanium Ventures and Wollemi. In 2024, Samsara Eco created apparel with lululemon, including the world's first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product. In 2025, it was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. Visit Forward Looking Statements The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future effectiveness and adoption of technologies or processes and project outcomes, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those set forth in the company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which discuss some of the important risks, uncertainties and assumptions that the company has identified that may affect its business, results of operations and financial condition. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. For further information, please contact: Jamie DuBrayVice President, Investor Relations713-753-5082Investors@ Philip IvyVice President, Global Communications and Marketing 713-753-3800MediaRelations@ in to access your portfolio
