Fulgar, an Italian synthetic fiber manufacturer, has announced the launch of a recycled yarn called ‘Q-Cycle’, in collaboration with chemical company BASF's ChemCycling project, which focuses on recycling plastic waste.

The company partnered with BASF in 2021 for the production of Q-Cycle. Q-Cycle is a post-consumption recycled polyamide (or nylon) that offers lightness, strength, and resistance similar to that of regular nylon.

The recycled yarn uses BASF’s pyrolysis process, which turns post-consumer plastic waste into pyrolysis oil, a secondary raw material that can be used to produce high-quality fabrics and can be processed similar to normal polyamide. According to Fulgar, the technology can convert plastic waste that is hard to recycle due to technological or ecological reasons, including end-of-life tires.

Founded in the 1970s, Fulgar has accumulated expertise in producing nylon and elastomers for the textiles and technical fabric sectors across Europe. The company launched its first sustainable and 100% bio-based polyamide material called EVO in 2015 in partnership with specialty chemicals company Evonik. Since then, the company has continued to develop sustainable materials and has also launched a regenerated yarn called Q-Nova. As of date, Fulgar recycles more than 63% of the materials used during its production cycle.