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Adoption is growing across outdoor apparel, athleisure, and protective workwear as the global textile supply chain prepares for Performance Days Munich and the Functional Fabric Fair Portland.
, /PRNewswire/ -- As the global textile industry intensifies efforts to address microplastic fiber pollution, Intrinsic Advanced Materials (IAM) today announced expanded adoption of CiCLO® technology across performance apparel, outdoor, and protective workwear. New product introductions from leading brands in Europe, Canada, and the United States demonstrate growing momentum for synthetic textiles engineered to reduce the persistence of microplastic fibers in the environment while retaining the durability, performance, and recyclability of fabrics.
Synthetic fibers now account for more than 65 percent of global textile production1, making solutions to address microplastic fiber pollution an urgent priority for global textile producers across the performance apparel supply chain.
CiCLO technology is a textile ingredient embedded in polyester and nylon fibers during production, enabling the material to biodegrade at rates comparable to wool when it enters the environment. When CiCLO polyester or nylon is exposed to seawater, soil, or wastewater sludge, microbes can break down the fibers, leaving behind only natural elements. Long-term comparative studies conducted by third-party labs show that CiCLO fibers fully biodegrade in under 4 years2 compared to conventional fibers that remain intact.
To support collaboration and further adoption across the textile value chain, IAM will showcase CiCLO technology at two major performance textile industry events this spring: Performance Days Munich (March 18–19, Booth #T02) and Functional Fabric Fair (April 7–9, Booth #254).
In Europe, Fruit of the Loom has incorporated CiCLO polyester into its Iconic Premium and Iconic 250 Sweats collections, including sweatshirts, hoodies, and jog pants designed for comfort, durability, and everyday wear.
"With our two new sweat collections, it was important to us to offer added value and differentiate ourselves from the competition. We succeeded by using CiCLO technology. What's more, our distribution partners and consumers rely on us when it comes to products they wear every day, and with that scale comes responsibility," said Christian Lanvermann, Senior Marketing Manager for Fruit of the Loom Europe. "Integrating CiCLO technology into these collections allows us to introduce an ingredient innovation directly into core apparel categories. It is a practical way to continue delivering comfort, durability, and value while helping address the growing concern around microplastic fibers."
