Pangaia continues to cement its status as a leader in sustainable innovation with the release of the world’s first fully NuCycl-made denim jacket. Developed in partnership with circular company Evrnu, the groundbreaking material is derived from pre and post-consumer textile waste — an environmentally-conscious milestone ready to disrupt the industry.

As a bit of background information, the history of denim goes way back — picture the 1800s (yep, you’ve heard it right!). Of course, at the time, it wasn’t considered the counterculture icon it is today but rather a farm and industrial workwear staple. It was not until the 1950s that the youth discovered the garment through idol figures such as James Dean. Despite denim having been adopted by Hollywood legends, rebels, millennials, chic Parisians and cowboys, its production has pretty much been the same until the last decade.

It is surprising that as of 2023, Pangaia’s oversized “Renu” denim jacket is the first garment made entirely from cotton textile waste and crafted from NuCycl. Nevertheless, this visionary process of making is extremely environmentally-friendly, as it shifts fossil fuel, animal-derived, and virgin fibers for recycled materials already in circulation. Now, considering the industry produces approximately 2 billion jeans a year (which comes with horrendous environmental consequences), a next-gen responsible pair of denim certainly gives the industry some hope.

For those unfamiliar with Evrnu, the company is the innovator behind a wide range of regenerative fiber technologies, which enable entirely new products to be produced from discarded clothing. In particular, NuCycl — unlike mechanically recycled cotton — is not blended with any virgin fiber, which allows it to be part of more recycling cycles and is a significantly less resource-intensive alternative to cotton or polyester. It is also up to four times stronger than other cellulosic fibers and can be recycled up to five times without losing performance or quality.

Dr. Amanda Parkes, Chief Innovation Officer at Pangaia, shared in the exclusive press release: “Evrnu represents the very best of innovation in the space of recycled fibers. We have been on a long journey together as partners, and we are delighted to be bringing out our first product together, demonstrating the extraordinary potential for superior quality from recycling technologies.”

Stacy Flynn, Evrnu’s Chief Executive and Co-Founder, added: “We are thrilled to partner with Pangaia, which shares our drive to unlock the future of materials and technology for the fashion industry. Our mission is to help brands create clothing out of recycled materials that are not only of the highest quality but can also continue to be recycled. We are delighted by the growing market demand for NuCycl.”

Priced at $400 USD, Pangaia’s “Renu” jacket will be available on a limited run through their website from February 16. And in other news from the same source: in case you missed it, Pangaia is now official B Corp-Certified.