The US laminate manufacturer WL Gore & Associates launches the first laminates from its cooperation with the Bionic company. Patagonia will be the first company to use the 2-layer laminates in its Fall/Winter 2023 collection.
The new laminates consist of the new Gore-Tex ePE membrane, which will be available for the first time this fall and is no longer made of the controversial PTFE material, but of expanded polyethylene. This PFC-free, resource-saving membrane was combined with a bionic textile fabric. These textiles are partly made from plastic waste collected from beaches and coasts.
The partnership with the US company Bionic, which specializes in materials science and sustainability, has existed since 2020. Bionic develops high-quality, fully traceable textiles and polymers made from recycled plastic. Over the past few years, Gore has provided Bionic with investments, materials science and supply chain expertise, helping build a robust, scalable supply chain and local recycling infrastructure in Costa Rican communities.
Patagonia as the first, exclusive partner
“Great partnerships are built on a shared vision and passion, complementary expertise, the ability to work together and the discipline to get things done. This innovative venture from Patagonia, Gore and Bionic represents that shared vision of what the future of performance outdoor apparel can and should be—100% waterproof, zero-forever chemicals, and radically recycled NorthStar materials,” said Mark Little, Global Product Director, Men’s Life Outdoors, at Patagonia.
Patagonia will introduce the first products with the new Gore-Tex laminates with recycled bionic textile fabric in the Fall/Winter 2023 season. In the coming seasons, more customers of the Gore-Tex brand will introduce products with the new laminates, all with the new ePE membrane and 100 percent recycled Bionic polyester textile fabric, which is made from 50 percent plastic waste from bionic operations in coastal communities and 50 percent from other municipal collections. The laminates are certified according to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and are permanently waterproof, windproof and breathable and carry the well-known Gore-Tex guarantee promise “Guaranteed To Keep You Dry”.
Establishment of a waste management system
As part of the collaboration and together with the community of Cóbano in Costa Rica, Gore and Bionic have set up a local waste management system for the reuse of plastic waste. There are also recycling stations on streets and beaches, organized beach cleanup and community outreach activities, a central sorting, pressing and grinding facility, and collection routes for local businesses, schools and other organizations.
“This launch is the culmination of years of close collaboration with Gore, developing novel processing techniques and creating an entirely new and traceable supply chain. Raising the profile of Bionic textiles to the level of the Gore-Tex brand was the best challenge and has resulted in a very special material that has found a perfect home in Patagonia with its long tradition of high-performance innovations and a sense of responsibility Tim Coombs, co-founder of Bionic.