Sensil® and Asahi Kasei's ROICA™ Collaborate to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Apparel Production

The apparel industry needs collaboration, innovation, and creativity to transition to low carbon. Upholding this philosophy, SENSIL® by NILIT has partnered with ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei to introduce a new fabric concept with a smaller environmental footprint. This fabric combines NILIT's biomass balance.Nylon 66SENSIL® ByNature and ROICA™ bio-based balanced high-end elastic fibers are designed for high-performance apparel.

Both companies produce textile raw materials using the Biomass Balance (BMB) method. This method utilizes renewable raw materials (recycled organic waste), which neither competes with food resources nor occupies land resources.

SENSIL® ByNature is the first nylon 66 yarn for apparel made from bio-based renewable raw materials sourced from biomass waste.

ROICA™ elastic fibers use a biomass balance approach, replacing traditional fossil-based hydrocarbons with renewable raw materials. ROICA™ will focus on promoting its biomass balance (BMB) business at its Taiwan plant, which serves as an important demonstration base for the company's biomass balance production.

Since biomass balance (BMB) products are identical in performance to traditional products, fabrics made with SENSIL® ByNature Nylon 66 yarn and biomass balance ROICA™ elastic fibers match traditional fabrics in terms of comfort, aesthetics, and performance. This means that clothing brands can use these eco-friendly materials without needing to redesign their product lines.

Two companies adopt biomass balance accounting and third-party certification to reasonably allocate the proportion of renewable materials in their products, thereby ensuring that brands and consumers can verify their sustainability claims. Additionally, the companies have obtained the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS), ensuring strict control and transparency in the use of renewable materials throughout the supply chain.

This collaboration will help reduce environmental impact.

Compared to traditional nylon, NILIT's SENSIL® ByNature Nylon 66 yarn reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.8 kg of CO2 equivalent per ton.

Asahi Kasei expects that the new ROICA™ biomass-balanced elastic fiber, combined with production process optimization, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared to existing products. However, specific data cannot be determined yet as the production decisions have just been made.

SENSIL® ByNature Nylon 66 yarn, when blended with biomass-balanced ROICA™ elastic fibers, can help designers create outstanding elastic fabrics that significantly reduce the environmental footprint of garments. This reduces dependence on fossil resources, supports the circular economy through renewable materials, and improves lifecycle assessments, all while maintaining the high-quality appearance, feel, comfort, and elasticity performance that consumers expect.