Natural and performance fibers meet for sustainability

Performance fabrics and sustainability can go hand in hand. That’s what Denim North America (DNA), a division of DNA Textile Group, set out to prove with its Sustainable R3 Denim collection, EcoSure BioBlast Denim.

DNA collaborated with the Poole Company, creator of the EcoSure BioBlast fiber, a biodegradable fiber made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled water bottles. DNA reports that the fiber has been shown to biodegrade in landfill conditions 12 times faster over a year compared to traditional polyester.

“As wearable function and sustainability are both becoming mainstays in jeanswear, our mission was to combine these elements by bringing natural and performance fibers together into a sustainable fabric,” says DNA’s creative director Lisa Harris.

DNA’s mission may help counter current industry statistics. The company says that with over 81 percent of textiles— 21 billion pounds—collecting in landfills each year, the rise in the use of synthetic fibers means textile waste will take much longer to decompose, with estimates ranging from 20 to 200 years.

Denim North America is a privately held denim company based in Columbus, Georgia.