Lycra partners with Samsara Eco to make the recycling process easy for blended fabrics

The LYCRA Company has announced a partnership with Australian biotech firm Samsara Eco, marking an important step toward practical solutions for textile circularity. The collaboration is focused on one of the toughest challenges in textile recycling: separating spandex from blended fabrics.

Spandex is valued for its stretch and comfort, yet once mixed with other fibers it becomes almost impossible to recycle. As a leading producer of spandex, LYCRA is applying its fiber knowledge to support Samsara Eco in developing new recycling methods that could give garments a second life rather than sending them to landfill.

This partnership combines LYCRA’s experience in fiber manufacturing with Samsara Eco’s biotechnology expertise. The aim is to keep materials circulating longer while lowering the environmental burden created by clothing waste.

The work also reflects a wider effort across the textile industry to embed circular economy principles, designing products with their full life cycle in mind. With waste reduction and sustainability now central concerns, collaborations like this show how science and industry can move forward together.

The project is still in its early stages, but both companies see it as the beginning of a longer journey. With continued research and testing, the approach could reshape how blended fabrics are recovered and reused, creating new standards for circular practice in apparel.