Danish fashion brand GANNI is advancing its efforts in
sustainable material innovation by developing alternative
materials made from industrial byproducts and discarded tex
tiles, including olive oil waste, leather scraps, and used denim
garments.
According to the company’s latest Responsibility Report, these
materials are being developed through collaborations with
innovation partners based in Turkey, France, Sweden, and the
United States.
One of the materials, Oleatex, is produced in Turkey using waste
generated during olive oil production. The leftover residue is
converted into a bio-based polyurethane coating, which is then applied to textile backings such as cotton and recycled polyester
to create a more sustainable material alternative.
Another innovation, Pelinova, has been developed in France. The
material uses leather scraps collected from fashion and furniture
manufacturers and combines them with TENCEL Lyocell fibres.
This process creates a recycled leather alternative while
reducing the need for virgin animal hides.
In Sweden, Circulose is helping transform worn-out cotton jeans
and textile production offcuts into new raw materials. Through a
chemical recycling process, cellulose is recovered from
discarded garments and reused to produce new textile fibres.
Meanwhile, Cycora, developed by Los Angeles-based
Ambercycle, converts textile waste into new polyester yarn. The
technology breaks down discarded clothing at the molecular
level and regenerates polyester without relying on virgin
fossil-based materials or recycled plastic bottles.