From Singular To Circular

Econyl seems to be the go-to material for fashion brands wanting to dip their toes into more sustainable practices. Yet the recyclable fabric’s beginnings come from a company that was part of the problem to begin with.

It’s everywhere by now. From luxury fashion houses with the likes of Prada and Gucci to brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and adidas, Econyl has become a synonymous material when it comes to sustainability in fashion. So convinced are these brands about its circular future that Prada, for example, is aiming to phase out its signature virgin nylon material for the recyclable Econyl substitute.

For the uninitiated, Econyl is not a naturally occurring material nor is it derived from natural resources. It’s synthetic in nature and essentially nylon. But what makes it better for the environment is that it’s regenerated nylon derived from waste including fishing nets and fabric scraps. After sorting through and recovering all the nylon possible, the waste is then put through a regeneration and purification process that recycles it into its original purity. In other words, Econyl is just as pure as virgin nylon.

But that’s not all. The ultimate goal is for used Econyl products to be successfully recycled and into ‘new’ regenerated nylon without compromising on its quality. Effectively, Econyl is nylon’s circular future.

While all that is great for our planet, Econyl is quite surprisingly a creation of Italian company Aquafil, one of the world’s largest producers of nylon. To find out more about Econyl and its adoption into the fashion industry as well as Aquafil’s intention to be a circularity-driven company, we speak to its chairman and chief executive officer Giulio Bonazzi.

ESQUIRE: Aquafil started as one of the leaders in producing synthetic materials, especially nylon. What prompted the shift towards Econyl and sustainability?