Lululemon has launched a limited capsule of two run shorts made with enzymatically recycled polyester, available exclusively online in Australia and New Zealand.
The capsule was developed with Australian-based recycling technology company Samsara Eco, and features the Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 2.5" and the Pace Breaker Linerless Short 7" in the Canyon Rock colourway.
Enzymatically recycled polyester accounts for at least 50 per cent of each product by weight and is used in the body material of both shorts.
Samsara Eco’s technology uses enzymes to break plastic and textile waste down into molecular building blocks, which can then be used to make new polyester.
The capsule follows Lululemon’s first enzymatically recycled polyester product, a limited-edition Packable Anorak released in 2024, as well as earlier work with Samsara Eco on enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6.
“Advancing circular innovation takes long-term collaboration, testing, and learning across the value chain,” said Lululemon chief materials scientist Yogendra Dandapure.
Dandapure said bringing the material into two core run styles was a chance to learn how recycling pathways that use textile waste as an input can be integrated into products without compromising performance or quality.
Lululemon noted that focused launches such as this help both companies understand how new materials perform in product and inform future applications.
Samsara Eco general manager Dr Lars Kissau said having the materials in core styles that consumers can buy and wear was an important milestone for the business. He added that Lululemon had backed Samsara Eco early, and that each launch helps the company understand how its technology can integrate into existing supply chains and supports broader adoption of enzymatically recycled materials.
More recently, LSKD signed a 10-year contract with Samsara, with production to come.
Samsara Eco is one of a number of recycling and biotechnology partners Lululemon works with as it develops performance materials and reduces its reliance on conventional virgin inputs.