By Garrett Dvorkin | Baltimore Business Journal
Under Armour Inc. has partnered with a chemical company to develop a recyclable replacement for spandex as part of the apparel company’s push to be more sustainable.
The Baltimore-based sportswear maker and Celanese Corp., a Dallas-based chemical and materials company, have created a new performance stretch fabric dubbed Neolast that could replace elastane, a decades-old material better known as spandex. The new material won’t be just for Under Armour, as Neolast will be “available for the broader apparel industry,” according to a release from Celanese.
The debut of the new material is the latest move in a sustainability push that could help differentiate Under Armour as it goes after new types of customers in the crowded apparel market.
“This can be used in marketing. For younger consumers sustainability is a hot topic, something that is debated on social media,” said David Swartz, an analyst who covers Under Armour for Morningstar. “In theory, this is something that could differentiate Under Armour and help it stand out. This could give them something to advertise.”
Under Armour and Celanese believe the new fabric has the potential to finally allow for the recycling of performance stretch fabrics in the athletic apparel space. Neolast is produced using recyclable polymers, which Celanese said is “a crucial first step” toward addressing sustainability challenges since materials made up of blended fabrics that contain elastane can’t be recycled. The new material is also created using a proprietary solvent-free process which eliminates potentially hazardous chemicals that are typically used when creating stretch fabrics.
Under Armour plans to use the new material for its products moving forward. Spandex is an important material for lots of stretchy clothing, including leggings. Under Armour CEO Stephanie Linnartz has said reaching female consumers is a big part of her Protect This House 3 initiative, a long-term plan to return the company to growth. Linnartz said Under Armour needs to create a “must-have” product for female consumers.
John Varvatos, Under Armour’s new chief design officer who started in October, told the Baltimore Business Journal this past fall that the company has new leggings in the works that would offer back support while still being comfortable.
In addition to creating more products for women, Under Armour also recently shifted its target audience to 16- to 20-year-old varsity athletes. Sustainability is very important to younger consumers, and is also a big issue for the clothing industry, Swartz said. He wasn’t surprised to see Under Armour lean more into sustainability, as a lot of pressure has been put on the industry about the waste it creates.
The new material is the latest sustainability product that Under Armour has helped bring to market in recent months. In December, Under Armour and James Heal, a testing solutions supplier, teamed up to bring the company’s fiber-shed test method to market. Under Armour chief sustainability officer Michael Levine said in a statement that the latest releases by the company show that Under Armour sees itself as “part of the team” when it comes to raising industry sustainability standards.
“When we developed our sustainability strategy, we recognized a lot of the challenges we were facing were challenges our entire industry faces,” Levine said. “We understand that working with peers and other businesses is necessary to have a lasting impact over the long term.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Under Armour