Lululemon Commits to Acquiring Recycled Fibers for up to 20% of Its Overall Fiber Usage
Lululemon and Samsara Eco Partnership Aims to Revolutionize Textile Recycling
In a significant move towards sustainable fashion, athletic apparel company lululemon and Australian environmental technology startup Samsara Eco have entered a 10-year offtake agreement. This partnership, announced on June 11, 2025, will see Samsara Eco supplying approximately 20% of lululemon's overall fibre portfolio with enzymatically recycled materials.
Samsara Eco's innovative technology uses AI-designed enzymes to break down synthetic fibres such as nylon 6,6 and polyester (PET) into their original monomers. These can be re-spun into high-quality fibres indistinguishable from virgin materials, enabling true circularity in textiles. This process allows for the production of new virgin-grade plastics without relying on fossil fuels.
The expanded partnership between lululemon and Samsara Eco spans a decade and supports lululemon’s sustainable materials goals, which include targets to source 75% "preferred materials" by 2025, and 100% by 2030.
Key timeline and milestones include the production of the first-ever product to be created using a circular solution for a difficult-to-recycle material, and the first ever product to be produced using enzymatically recycled polyester, announced in 2024. Samsara Eco's first commercial recycling facility is set to open in Jerrabomberra, Australia, aimed at scaling production.
The collaboration leverages Deakin University’s expertise to enhance recycling performance even for textiles with dyes and finishes, improving scalability and commercial viability. The benefits of the partnership include lululemon increasing its share of recycled-content fibres, reducing dependence on virgin fossil-fuel-based inputs. Samsara Eco’s enzymatic recycling is low carbon and can handle complex textile waste, supporting circular economy goals by keeping materials in circulation rather than landfill or incineration.
The partnership exemplifies a closed-loop textile recycling model, promoting reuse of synthetic fibres at a molecular level without downcycling. It helps address the textile industry’s significant waste problem, where less than 1% of synthetic fibre garments currently get recycled into new clothing. By integrating recycled fibres into lululemon's supply chain on a large scale (20%), it drives systemic change toward more sustainable fashion manufacturing.
The lululemon-Samsara Eco partnership represents a major step toward commercializing enzymatic textile recycling, scaling recycled fibre use, and advancing the circular economy within the activewear industry and beyond. Samsara Eco's materials could support approximately 20% of lululemon's overall fibers portfolio, and the companies' potential to drive circular apparel over the next decade, as expressed by Riley, is optimistic.
Earlier this year, lululemon announced a multi-year collaboration with biotechnology firm ZymoChem aimed at expanding the use of sustainable bio-based nylon in its products. This partnership, combined with the Samsara Eco agreement, positions lululemon as a leader in sustainable textile manufacturing.
- The enzymatic recycling technology developed by Samsara Eco is applied to break down synthetic fibers like nylon 6,6 and polyester (PET), enabling the production of new high-quality fibers that mimic virgin materials, promoting environmental-science and sustainable-living in manufacturing.
- Lululemon's collaboration with Samsara Eco targets a 20% share of the athletic apparel company's overall fibre portfolio with enzymatically recycled materials, with the goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and supporting finance for sustainable innovation in the industry.
- Lululemon's expanded partnership with Samsara Eco and biotechnology firm ZymoChem this year aims to increase the use of sustainable bio-based nylon in its products, signifying a shift towards a more sustainable lifestyle and home-and-garden practices.
- The partnership between lululemon and Samsara Eco focuses on the development of a closed-loop textile recycling model, addressing the significant waste problem in the textile industry and promoting technology that supports the circular economy.
- The success of the lululemon-Samsara Eco partnership in scaling recycled fiber use represents a significant stride forward for sustainable textile manufacturing and finance within the activewear industry and beyond, driving systemic change that benefits both the environment and the lifestyle of consumers.
