LYCRA® fiber is entering a new era: Qore, maker of QIRA®, the key ingredient in our soon-to-be-released bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber, has officially opened its manufacturing site in Eddyville, Iowa. That means we’re one step closer to large-scale production of bio-derived LYCRA® fiber — and a more sustainable spandex solution.
QIRA® is a 1,4-butanediol (BDO) made from dent corn grown in the US Midwest. It’s a 100% bio-based alternative to fossil-based BDO. When converted into PTMEG, the main ingredient in LYCRA® fiber, it is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44%* while delivering the same performance. So brands and mills can drop it into their manufacturing processes and get closer to their sustainability goals.
*Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll US Consulting, Inc.
A Partnership for the future
Qore and The LYCRA Company have collaborated closely on the journey to QIRA®. The LYCRA Company was Qore’s first customer, and our teams have worked together to engage the textile industry around this new development and drum up excitement for bio-derived LYCRA® fiber. Pictured left are Gary Smith, CEO of The LYCRA Company, farmer Jackson Drost, and Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore.
