The CORDURA® brand wants its regenerated nylon to perform well in applications but with a lower environmental impact

Known for its durable nylon, INVISTA's CORDURA® fabrics have helped shape performance-demanding categories such as workwear, outdoor apparel, bags and backpacks for 55 years
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Now, CORDURA® goes a step further: As part of the new CORDURA® re/cor™ sustainability platform, CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics recently launched the new CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66 portfolio, urging the industry to “expect more, waste more less"
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The new CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66 technology is "durable, environmentally responsible, innovative and durable"
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The production of CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 83%, energy consumption by 82% and water consumption by 57% compared to Virgin nylon 6,6
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Cindy McNaull, Director of Business Development, CORDURA® said: "This is really one of the key milestones in our benchmarking of how our new high tenacity RN66 fabric performs against an equivalent INVISTA™ virgin nylon 6,6
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Our own It's the biggest touchstone
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This launch is particularly relevant for higher performance RN66 applications such as bags and backpacks, footwear, outerwear and apparel reinforcement to improve durability in high wear areas
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CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66 is made from 100% pre-consumer fiber material and is GRS (Global Recycling Standard) certified
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INVISTA™ is a major manufacturer of fibers for airbags and synthetic carpets, and for CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66, this provides a solid base for pre-consumer or post-industrial feedstocks
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“From a performance standpoint, there is little to no difference in wear and only a small drop in tensile and tear strength compared to native 66.

Additionally, it is a more sustainable and less made in a way that impacts,
" McNaull said
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Compared to virgin nylon, there are no restrictions on the color palette that RN66 can achieve
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Currently available in 36 colors for Fall/Winter 2023, the new Re-Nylon 66 collection mixes bright, upbeat shades ("for getting out of the pandemic") with cooler traditional CORDURA® brand colors
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"We also wanted to release some high-tech, modern, bold fabrics that express our vision for the future using colours and structures that depict hope and enlightenment
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Many of the company's supply chain partners are already familiar with its GRS-certified post-consumer recycled polyester (RPET) and pre-consumer recycled nylon 6 (RN6) qualified yarns, which are being classified as CORDURA® re/cor ™ series
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Currently, the CORDURA® re/cor™ platform covers RPET, RN6 and now RN66
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It also has room to grow
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“On an obvious level, re/cor conjures up the word recycle
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But if you think about it, there’s a lot more to the name: regeneration, renewal, rejuvenation,
” McNaull said.
“We pay close attention to every one of our One link
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With the debut of CORDURA® re/cor™, we are starting with recycled products, with more ESG initiatives to follow
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In addition, INVISTA is extremely proud of its dyed nylon fabric CORDURA® Truelock™ fabric
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CORDURA® Truelock™ fabrics feature INVISTA nylon 6,6 multifilament fibers that lock in color at the molten polymer extrusion stage, offering significant management benefits such as reduced water and energy consumption, and reduced CO2 emissions from the manufacturing process
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The CORDURA® brand has always been known for fashion brand collaborations and it is with this in mind that the CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66 got off to such a strong start
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CORDURA® has partnered with San Francisco-based leather bag company Black Ember
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There are many more brand collaborations already in the works, which are unusual for a new fiber product
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“What’s unique for us is that usually when we launch a new fiber, it often takes two to three quarters of fabric development to reach the sample stage for brand customers
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But with CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66, We were able to rapidly accelerate innovation with our fabric mill partner (Dongjin) and brand customers, iterating, developing and testing together
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The ethos of CORDURA® have always been summed up as "Sustainability starts with products that last" and this latest collection "challenges the throwaway mentality in the textile industry," adds McNaull, "The future of innovation is collaboration
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We are here in this We are not alone in the journey
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We are committed to partnering with our network of authorized factories and brands to build relationships and develop more responsible products
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”