Recycling garments made from mixed fibres has long been one of the most complex challenges facing the textiles industry, with the absence of effective separation technologies consigning many products to landfill or incineration at end of life. A new collaboration between RadiciGroup, The Lycra Company and lingerie specialist Triumph now demonstrates that this barrier can be overcome.

Radici InNova, the RadiciGroup business area dedicated to research and innovation, has developed an advanced recycling process based on selective dissolution technology that enables the recovery of both nylon and elastane from mixed textile waste. The process is capable of treating garments such as swimwear, tights and leggings, which typically combine multiple fibre types and have until now been considered unrecyclable.

The technology, which is internationally patented, uses non-toxic, non-flammable and environmentally compatible solvents. It can be applied to the main nylon types, PA6 and PA66, and allows for the recovery of both nylon and elastane fibres regardless of their proportions in the fabric. The solvent itself is also recovered and reused, making the process both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Working in partnership with The Lycra Company and Triumph, Radici InNova validated the process by producing a coordinated lingerie set made entirely from recycled materials. Triumph supplied production surplus fabric containing 16% elastane, from which Radici InNova successfully recovered both fibre components. The recovered elastane was re-spun by The Lycra Company, while RadiciGroup processed the recycled nylon into Renycle yarn.

Using these recycled yarns, a 60-metre black fabric was produced and subsequently made into a bra and briefs by Triumph. The resulting garment set serves as a concept product, demonstrating the technical feasibility of a closed-loop system for mixed-fibre textiles and laying the foundations for future industrial-scale applications.

According to Radici InNova, the project marks a significant milestone for textile recycling by proving that fibres from complex fabrics can be recovered and reused without compromising performance. For The Lycra Company, the initiative highlights the role elastane can play in advancing circularity, showing that recycled elastane fibres retain their stretch, recovery and comfort properties when reintroduced into the spinning cycle.

Although still at a prototype stage, Triumph views the project as an important step towards future circular collections. The company is now exploring the development of a capsule range and is working on solutions for product identification, traceability and circularity systems to ensure garments can be used for as long as possible and recycled appropriately at end of life.

The collaboration between RadiciGroup, The Lycra Company and Triumph demonstrates how innovation and partnership can address one of the industry’s most persistent sustainability challenges and move circular fashion closer to reality.

www.radicigroup.com

www.thelycracompany.com

www.triumph.com