Lululemon, a well-known athletic apparel brand, has recently shown its support for an innovative technology developed by Samsara Eco that aims to tackle plastic pollution. Samsara Eco has utilized artificial intelligence to create enzymes capable of breaking down commonly-used plastics into their original components, paving the way for what they call infinite recycling.
What sets Samsara Eco apart from its competitors is its ability to process plastic waste without the need for prior sorting, enabling a more efficient recycling process. With a recent infusion of $65 million in funding, the Australian company plans to establish commercial facilities in Southeast Asia to scale up its groundbreaking technology.
These facilities, set to be 50:50 joint ventures with plastic polymerization companies, will include a nylon factory and a polyester facility capable of recycling large quantities of plastic waste generated by nearby garment factories. Samsara Eco’s CEO Riley expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to accelerate the commercialization of their technology and collaborate with partners to bring it to market.
Notably, Lululemon has already incorporated recycled polyester produced by Samsara Eco into one of its products – a jacket. Yogendra Dandapure, Lululemon’s vice president of raw materials innovation, emphasized the brand’s commitment to advancing circularity in its supply chain by exploring technologies like those developed by Samsara Eco.
The investment from Lululemon and others, such as Hitachi’s investment arm Temasek, underscores the growing interest in sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges. This partnership signals a step towards a more circular economy, offering promising opportunities for industries seeking to adopt more sustainable practices in the future.
