Ambercycle partners with REI

Ambercycle, a Los Angeles-based materials science company, and outdoor apparel retailer REI Co-op have announced a three-year offtake agreement for Ambercycle’s Cycora regenerated polyester.

According to Ambercycle, the fashion industry generates more than 92 million tons of textile waste annually, with polyester making up roughly 57 percent of global fiber production. Many products in REI’s portfolio contain polyester, uniquely positioning it to help mature the market for recycled polyester, Ambercycle says.

“REI’s influence extends far beyond its own brand—as a co-op, it brings together a thousand outdoor brands and millions of members under one vision,” Ambercycle CEO and co-founder Shay Sethi says. “That makes them a uniquely powerful partner in scaling decarbonized materials. By integrating Cycora, REI is helping to set a new standard for the entire outdoor industry, proving that high-performance gear and circular systems can go hand in hand.”

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Since 2020, REI has increased fivefold the portion of recycled polyester that goes into its Co-op brand products. As of 2024, more than 50 percent of the polyester used in REI Co-op brand products came from recycled sources, and Ambercycle says this partnership will help REI build on this progress.

“At REI, we see next-generation materials as critical to building a decarbonized future for outdoor gear,” says Ajay Chadha, director of materials innovation at REI Co-op Brands. “As we work toward our 2030 goals, REI Co-op Brands is investing in science-driven solutions like textile-to-textile recycling to cut emissions at the feedstock level and reduce reliance on virgin polyester. This is one of the initiatives that reflects our long-term commitment to scaling low-carbon materials and delivering real impact for our members and the broader industry.”

This agreement establishes a phased pathway for Cycora integration at REI Co-op brands; initial adoption in priority performance categories, followed by broader material integration as supply scales. Ambercycle also is expanding molecular regeneration capacity to recapture end-of-life textiles and return them to fabric supply chains.