How Dyneema® knits sustainability into protective textiles

From take, make, waste to reduce, reuse, recycle: that’s the shift taking place in the global textile industry (and many others) today. In fact, the industry is facing pressure on multiple fronts – from governments, investors, and consumers alike – to adopt more sustainable solutions and mitigate the significant environmental impact of the manufacturing, shipping, and consumption of textiles. To make it happen, cross-value-chain efforts need to be implemented by both product and material manufacturers.

As a market leader in ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and as part of the Avient family, Dyneema^® is dedicated to protecting natural resources and supporting the recycling and repurposing of end-of-use products made with our fibers. After all, we have a responsibility to deliver products that protect our planet as well as its people.

That’s why we introduced the world’s first-ever bio-based high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber in 2020. Sourced from renewable bio-based feedstock using the mass balance approach, bio-based Dyneema^® fiber reduces our reliance on fossil-based resources – without compromising on performance, protection, comfort, or durability. The result? When integrated into high-performance fabrics and protective knitwear, our solution provides a more sustainable alternative for outdoor, sport, and lifestyle products as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) for manufacturing applications.

Let’s zoom in on PPE for a moment. When bio-based Dyneema^® fiber makes up a significant portion of the material composition of fabrics or protective knitwear, it enables unique reductions in the product’s overall carbon footprint. For example, life-cycle assessment calculations show that cut-resistant gloves (cut level 4 performance) made with bio-based Dyneema^® fiber generate only 2,800 kg of CO₂ emissions per 10,000 pairs – 6.5 times lower than generic HMPE fiber and 6 times lower than aramid fiber. What’s more, industrial fabrics with more than 70% bio-based Dyneema^® fiber also have a lower carbon footprint than fabrics made with generic polyethylene or other fossil-derived synthetic materials like polyamide and polyester.

Customer collaboration? Check. Material innovation? Check. And we’re also committed to responsible manufacturing targets, to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, we’ve already far surpassed our original ambition of using 75% renewable electricity at our fiber manufacturing facilities by 2030: in fact, we hit the full 100% back in 2021.

All of this adds up to more sustainable solutions for the textile industry – helping to deliver protective fabric and knitwear products that care for the safety of people and the health of our planet, now and in the future.