Lululemon Signs Deal To Boost Circular Fashion

In a significant stride towards sustainable fashion, athletic apparel giant Lululemon has signed a decade-long agreement with recycling innovator Samsara Eco to integrate enzymatically recycled nylon and polyester into its products. This strategic partnership, announced on June 12, 2025, reflects Lululemon’s deepening commitment to circularity, aiming to replace up to 20% of its total fibre usage with recycled alternatives by 2030.

This long-term offtake agreement builds on a successful and ongoing collaboration between the two companies. Their relationship began gaining industry-wide attention in 2023 when they introduced the world’s first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product sample. The collaboration further produced Lululemon’s first enzymatically recycled polyester garment—a limited-edition Packable Anorak. Both products met the brand’s high standards of quality and performance, validating the scalability and practicality of enzymatic recycling for mainstream apparel.

Samsara Eco’s enzymatic technology represents a breakthrough in circular textile innovation. Unlike traditional mechanical or chemical recycling methods that degrade material quality or require high energy input, Samsara Eco uses specially engineered enzymes to deconstruct polyester and nylon fibres back into their original molecular building blocks. These components can then be reused to manufacture new fibres of equal quality, supporting a truly circular manufacturing process.

Polyester and nylon together make up approximately 60% of all global textile fibres. Historically, these synthetic materials have been heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and their disposal has contributed to growing environmental challenges, including microplastic pollution and increased landfill burden. By committing to the adoption of enzymatically recycled fibres at scale, Lululemon is taking a bold step away from fossil-fuel-derived materials, aligning its production with environmentally responsible practices that reduce resource extraction and waste.

Ted Dagnese, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lululemon, emphasized the transformative potential of the partnership. “Scaling circular materials requires bold partnerships and a shared commitment to rethinking how our industry operates,” he said. “Together with our partners, including Samsara Eco, we’re helping to turn our vision of a circular model into a reality.”

This commitment is part of Lululemon’s broader 2030 impact goals, which include transitioning toward sustainable, circular materials and reducing the brand’s overall environmental footprint. By embedding circularity into its core strategy, Lululemon is setting a precedent for the athletic wear industry and signaling a shift in how fashion brands must evolve to meet growing consumer and regulatory demand for sustainability.

To meet the expected demand resulting from this agreement, Samsara Eco is planning a significant infrastructure expansion. The company will open a new facility in Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, dedicated to scaling its proprietary EosEco™ enzyme platform. This plant will play a critical role in increasing production capacity and making enzymatically recycled materials more widely available. Furthermore, Samsara Eco is set to launch an international commercial facility by 2028, expanding its global supply chain capabilities and reinforcing its position as a key player in the future of textile recycling.

Paul Riley, Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco, expressed optimism about the long-term impact of this collaboration. “The technology to make circular materials is not a pipe dream—it is here, ready for adoption by forward-thinking companies,” he stated. “I’m incredibly optimistic about how we will help fuel circular apparel over the next decade with Lululemon.” Riley added that the expanded partnership marks a critical step toward building a truly circular ecosystem in the fashion industry, with implications for both sustainability and business resilience.

The Lululemon-Samsara Eco partnership reflects a growing movement among global fashion brands to invest in scalable, science-based recycling technologies. With environmental challenges and resource scarcity becoming increasingly urgent, innovation in textile recycling is being recognized not only as a moral imperative but as a business necessity. By leading this transformation, Lululemon is positioning itself as a frontrunner in sustainable fashion, paving the way for others to follow suit.

As the partnership unfolds over the next ten years, it is poised to reshape industry norms around material sourcing, production, and end-of-life management. If successful, it could catalyze a wider adoption of enzymatic recycling and inspire a new generation of apparel that’s not only high-performing but also truly circular.