BASF and Inditex Jointly Launch PA6 - Loopamid Made from 100% Textile Waste

BASF and Inditex jointly announce a breakthrough in their efforts to increase recyclability in the textile industry. With the launch of Loopamid, a polyamide 6, also known as PA6, made from 100% textile waste, BASF offers the first circular solution for nylon garments made entirely from textile waste.

Zara has transformed this material into a 100% cycloamide jacket, which is now available globally. Following a Recycled Design approach, all components including fabric, buttons, padding, hooks and loops and zippers are made from cyclic amide. BASF has developed an innovative solution with Loopamid to increase circularity in the fashion industry and recycle polyamide 6 textile waste.

The cutting-edge technology behind loopamid allows for textile-to-textile recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste, thanks to its ability to withstand all fabric blends, including PA6 and elastane. Fibers and materials can be recycled multiple times. At the same time, the material properties are the same as traditional virgin polyamide.

Dr. Ramkumar Dhruva, President of BASF's Monomers Division, said: BASF has achieved an important milestone in the development of circularity in the fashion industry and pioneered a closed-loop approach to nylon textiles. Our cyclic amides have the potential to revolutionize the PA6 market for the better. We are scaling up our technology to deliver commercial volumes to our customers. Together with Inditex, the Capsule Jacket proves that circularity is possible and we are keen to further drive the sustainable transformation of the textile industry."

Javier Losada, Chief Sustainability Officer at Inditex, added: "Driving innovation is key to moving towards a more responsible industry. This collaboration is a great example of how, working together, new technologies can be used to transform textile waste into new resources. The project is also a first step towards circular solutions, as the industry still needs to add new collection and recycling capabilities to achieve closed-loop and scaled recycling of post-consumer waste. "

The cooperation between BASF and Inditex is based on shared sustainability goals. By 2030, BASF aims to double sales generated from circular economy solutions to 17 billion euros. To achieve this, the company is focusing on three areas of action: circular raw materials, new material cycles and new business models.

Inditex aims to have 100% of its textile products made entirely from materials with a smaller environmental footprint by 2030. As part of this commitment, the group expects 25% of textile fibers to be made from next-generation materials that have no environmental impact. At present, it has formed an industrial scale, of which 40% is traditional recycled materials and 25% is organic and recycled fibers.