Suedwolle, UTO and Lycra build recycled yarn platform for seamless activewear

Germany's Suedwolle Group has partnered with Chinese seamless knitting specialist UTO and The Lycra Company on a performance activewear collection built on a single yarn platform containing recycled polyester made entirely from textile waste. The companies presented the collection at Performance Days in Munich on 13-14 October.

The yarn combines three components: ultrafine Merino wool, Coolmax EcoMade recycled polyester fibre, and a fine polyamide filament. The Coolmax EcoMade fibre comes from a textile-to-textile recycling process that uses 100% textile waste as its feedstock, The Lycra Company confirmed at the Munich show.

What does each fibre component contribute?

The blend assigns a specific function to each input. Coolmax EcoMade polyester delivers moisture management and quick-drying performance, while the Merino wool fraction provides natural thermoregulation and moisture buffering. The polyamide filament adds durability and stability during downstream processing.

Suedwolle developed the yarn through its Suedwebs Innovation Hub. The company designed it as a common material platform across a range of performance applications rather than a single-product formulation.

How does seamless construction change the sourcing decision?

UTO converted the yarn into garments using seamless knitting technology, producing a collection that spans base layers, yoga, tennis and golf apparel. Seamless construction builds fit, movement and functional properties directly into the knitted structure, reducing reliance on conventional cut-and-sew assembly.

Each end use places different demands on the material platform:

• Base layers prioritise moisture management and thermoregulation.
• Yoga garments require flexibility and close-fitting comfort.
• Tennis apparel must handle intensive movement and higher perspiration levels.
• Golf clothing needs comfort over long durations and changing weather.

The project shows how one yarn platform containing textile-to-textile recycled fibre can serve multiple end uses through yarn engineering and seamless garment construction.

What is still undisclosed?

The companies have not disclosed the precise proportions of the three fibre components in the yarn. They have also not published the overall recycled content of the finished garments.

For sourcing teams, the takeaway is direct: the platform offers a traceable textile-to-textile recycled input, but buyers should request fibre percentages and recycled-content verification before making claims under EU textile strategy disclosure requirements.