To remove unnecessary plastic from performance apparel, icebreaker has made impressive progress, claiming 96.14 percent of its fibres are natural or plant-based.
The four percent remaining synthetic fibres serve specific and necessary performance requirements, such as adding that all-important stretch to underwear and socks.
“We are actively exploring new innovative materials to help us find a solution for that remaining four per cent, and we are confident of seeing progress every year towards our 100 per cent goal,” said Icebreaker’s Director of Materials and Innovation, Jordi Beneyto-Ferre.
Using synthetic fibres is hard to avoid, as elastane can only achieve body-hugging performance. In these cases, icebreaker uses on-boarded fibres that source their carbon content wholly or partially from plants.
However, icebreaker’s primary fibre is and always will be merino. The brand also uses other responsibly sourced fibres like Tencel Lyocell (FSC certified), Cotton (Organic or BCI) or Linen to achieve different fabric benefits through blends.
“Our key sustainability vision is to source all our merino fibres from growers using regenerative practices by 2028, a massive feat for the industry.”
Most of these long-term contracted growers are based on the South Island. These long-term contracts are a unique model in the industry, creating long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships to support a better future.
These contracts have also enabled growers to invest in innovation on their farms, the pinnacle of it being the onboarding and adoption of regenerative practices through the ZQRX program.
In an industry dominated by synthetic materials, icebreaker decided to take the difficult path by establishing a plastic-free goal, exploring the limits of what natural materials can do for performance outdoor consumers.
