Ambercycle, Gap Inc. partner on textile circularity

Los Angeles-based material science company Ambercycle and is working with Gap Inc. to leverage textile-to-textile (T2T) recycled materials in Athleta products.

Starting in 2026, Athleta, a Gap brand, plans to become the first performance apparel brand to use Ambercycle's Cycora recycled polyester at scale.

“As the demand for circular materials rises, we are delighted to collaborate with like-minded brands in the performance sector, such as Athleta,” Ambercycle CEO Shay Sethi says. “Together, we are not only creating high-quality garments but also driving forward the circular fashion movement.”

RELATED: Tomra webinar addresses textile circularity

Ambercycle’s molecular regeneration technology uses discarded polyester as a feedstock to produce Cycora. The company says the product is designed to reproduce the quality of virgin-grade polyester, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependency on landfilling or incinerating end-of-life textiles.

“Gap Inc. is committed to evolving our supply chain and product development process in ways that help us deliver innovative products for our customers while reducing our environmental footprint,” says Dan Fibiger, head of global sustainability at Gap Inc. “Ambercycle's groundbreaking technology for transforming end-of-life textiles into new materials not only enables a more sustainable supply of high-performance fabrics, but it has the potential to cut waste and emissions and… advance circularity at scale.”

According to Ambercycle, it sources its polyester feedstocks from local collections, businesses, clothing donation institutions and government collaborations.