Econyl is a yarn made from discarded nylon that can be re-used for new fabrics, carpets, or even swimwear.

Econyl is a yarn made from recovered nylon waste that can be recycled almost infinitely. Discarded carpets, fishing nets and other nylon textiles are recycled into new fibres that can be repurposed in the form of new fabrics, textiles or carpets. Due to the chemical properties of nylon, the molecules can be ‘unzipped’ and returned to their original state many times with minimal loss of quality and performance.

The Econyl Regeneration System begins with collecting waste via two main streams. One from recycling old carpets, textiles and industrial waste, and another from fishing nets recovered from the ocean and fish farms. The waste is then shipped to a pre-treatment plant in Slovenia where the nylon is separated and shredded. The resulting product is a continuous filament of nylon with the same performance characteristics of conventional oil-based nylon. It is then used widely for carpet flooring, clothing and other textiles.

The Finnish swimwear brand Halla Halla produces bikinis and bathing suits entirely made by the Econyl material. The two founders were surfing amongst plastic and fishing nets when they came up with the idea that literally turned swimming in waste into a good thing. Aiming towards zero waste, the company only produces a limited amount of pieces to prevent surplus production and collects pre-consumer fiber waste through a series of initiatives, safeguarding the oceans from debris.

The global production of nylon is expected to reach 10 million tons per year by 2022 without a clear end-of-life strategy. According to the company, more than 30,000 tonnes of waste were recovered between 2011 and 2013 as a result of the Econyl Regeneration System. By reusing nylon, the system helps to limit the production of new oil-based nylon, saving non-renewable raw materials.