Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest company, has launched R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® – a new fabric technology having a unique chemistry that enables activation of biomimetic biodegradation process.
Ever increasing demand for environment friendly products from eco-conscious consumers have enforced apparel brands, fashion houses to seek a unique chemistry that can provide a biological solution to environment related issues. R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® fabric is designed to reduce persistence of textile waste in landfills and other related conditions.
Need for a solution to the environmental crisis due to textile waste accumulation
Today one of the major challenges faced by the environment is the accumulation of textile waste. In the fashion industry, a majority percentage of post-consumer textile waste, weighing millions of tons, end up in landfills. These waste textiles can take up to 400+ years to decompose. In such a scenario, it is extremely important to be aware and take responsibility to come up with new path breaking solutions that can ensure reduction of textile waste in landfills.
R|Elan™ range of fabrics from Reliance Industries Limited offer multiple possibilities with infused technologies that bring about special and lasting benefits in the garment for the consumer. R|Elan™ provides consumers next-generation fabrics that are in sync with the latest fashion trends, and fulfil their lifestyle needs as well. R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® fabric is the newest addition in the R|Elan™ eco-friendly technologies collection that enhances sustainable fashion quotient.
R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® is an innovative effort that will help reduce the impact of unrecycled textiles on the environment. This technology enables microbes living in the environment to break down the materials and convert them into basic elements like carbon dioxide, water, minerals etc. just like they break down natural fibres. The chemistry used to make the product is proven to be safe for use in sustainable textiles by OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT, an independent certification system.
While unveiling R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® for the fashion industry, Mr Gunjan Sharma, CMO – Polyester Division, RIL, said: “Innovation and sustainability are at the core of our R|Elan™ initiatives. To further strengthen the core, we have introduced a new path breaking solution in sustainable fashion – R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® that will help fight issue of textile waste, conserve environment and at the same time satisfy the consumer needs of style and sustainability. We are using one of the leading CiCLO® technology of Intrinsic Advanced Materials that makes R|Elan™ EcoGold based fabrics to degrade under specific conditions, thus reducing the persistence of textile accumulation in landfills.”
On the collaboration with Reliance and R|Elan™ EcoGold, Mr Alastair Drew, Intrinsic Advanced Materials: “CiCLO® collaborated with Reliance to make products that people love and have a clear conscience about the impact that those products have on our earth. Together, we will make a meaningful impact, one step at a time. R|Elan™ EcoGold will help apparel retailers globally by giving them access to eco-friendly fibres that can be used to make garments that will meet the needs of conscious consumers.
R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO® reduces the impact of textile waste on the environment. Now, get ready to take eco-fashion to the next level using R|Elan™ EcoGold with CiCLO®.
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
Reliance is India’s largest private sector company, with a consolidated turnover of INR 539,238 crore ($73.8 billion), cash profit of INR 79,828 crore ($10.9 billion), and net profit of INR 53,739 crore ($7.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2021. Reliance’s activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. Reliance is the top-most ranked company from India to feature in Fortune’s Global 500 list of “World’s Largest Companies”. The company stands 55th in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings of “World’s Largest Public Companies” for 2021 – top-most among Indian companies. It features among LinkedIn’s ‘The Best Companies to Work For In India’ (2021)
About Intrinsic Advanced Materials (IAM):
Intrinsic Advanced Materials (IAM) is a joint venture formed in 2018 between Intrinsic Textiles Group, a Silicon Valley start-up, and Parkdale Advanced Materials, the innovative fibers and yarns division of textiles giant Parkdale, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of spun yarns. Our combined team is made up of scientists, engineers and textile industry veterans who are outdoor enthusiasts and feel passionately about protecting our planet.
IAM’s mission is to enable textile manufacturers and brands to keep making products that people love with a clear conscience about the impact that those products have on our earth. There is a long road ahead to solving the problem of plastic pollution, but together, we will make a meaningful impact, one small step at a time.
About biodegradation: Biodegradation studies are conducted and validated by an independent 3rd party laboratory using internationally recognized ASTM test methods. Laboratory studies represent optimal conditions. As with all materials, the actual rate and extent of biodegradation of CiCLO® fibers are dependent upon individual conditions in actual environments. 91% biodegradation in 1,278 days under ASTM D5511 conditions (accelerated landfill environment); 92% biodegradation in 844 days under ASTM D6691 conditions (accelerated marine/ocean environment); 88% biodegradation in 742 days under ASTM D5988 conditions (soil); 88% biodegradation in 847 days under ASTM D5210 conditions (Wastewater treatment plant sludge). The stated rate and extent of degradation do not mean that the product will continue to degrade.
IMPORTANT CALIFORNIA NOTICE: California law prohibits the sale of plastic packaging and plastic products that are labeled with the terms ‘biodegradable,’ ‘degradable,’ or ‘decomposable,’ or any form of those terms, or that imply in any way that the item will break down, biodegrade or decompose in a landfill or other environment. These restrictions apply to all sales in or into the State of California, including such sales over the internet.
