CiCLO Polyester Fibers

Most "eco-friendly" polyester claims stop at recycled content. CiCLO® polyester fiber goes further - it's an additive technology that gives standard polyester a way to actually leave the environment once it's done being useful, without becoming a different material to work with.

 

 

Polyester sheds microfibers during manufacturing, wear, and washing - CiCLO polyester fiber doesn't change that part. What changes is what happens to those fibers afterward. The CiCLO additive is built into the polyester at the molecular level during extrusion and stays completely inactive through the product's entire use life - no effect on how the fiber performs while it's still doing its job. Only when shed or discarded CiCLO polyester fibers enter environments rich in moisture and active microorganisms - such as seawater, soil, wastewater sludge, or anaerobic landfills - do naturally occurring microbes recognize the material as a food source and break it down over time into natural elements, significantly mitigating long-term microfiber accumulation.

 

 

CiCLO polyester fiber technology was developed by Intrinsic Advanced Materials (IAM), LLC - a venture formed between Intrinsic Textiles Group and Parkdale Advanced Materials, two companies with existing footprints in fiber innovation and large-scale textile manufacturing. That matters for buyers: this isn't a startup concept still looking for a production partner. CiCLO polyester fiber is already running through commercial-scale spinning operations.

 

 

This isn't a lab theory. Independent, third-party testing under ASTM and ISO protocols measured CiCLO polyester fiber biodegradation across four real-world environments: 92% in seawater after 844 days, 91% in soil after 1,171 days, 91% under landfill conditions after 1,278 days, and 88% in wastewater sludge after 847 days. Untreated polyester, tested under the same conditions, showed almost no measurable breakdown over the same timeframes. Third-party testing confirms that CiCLO® polyester fibers achieve high rates of biodegradation over extended testing periods, whereas untreated polyester shows minimal to no measurable breakdown under identical conditions.

CiCLO® biodegradation studies*

 

 

Certifications only mean something if they cover the right thing. CiCLO polyester fiber chemistry holds OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT certification and is REACH compliant, confirming the additive meets industry safety standards for human contact. Separately, independent tests on the biodegradation process itself found no toxicity to marine life or plants as CiCLO polyester fiber breaks down - the byproduct of decomposition isn't a second pollution problem.

 

 

CiCLO polyester fiber isn't a new material - it's standard polyester with one addition, and the base properties don't change. Tensile strength, elasticity, and wear resistance hold up the same way they would in untreated polyester, and CiCLO polyester fiber runs on standard spinning and weaving equipment without special handling. It also blends cleanly with cotton, wool, Tencel, spandex, and other common fibers without altering the natural performance or aging properties of those blended materials.

 

 

CiCLO polyester fiber isn't a niche or experimental offering - it's currently used in commercial apparel and home textile lines by brands including Target, Walmart, Champion, Billabong, Black Diamond, and Oakley. That range says something about where the fiber fits: performance sportswear, outdoor gear, and everyday basics all run on the same base CiCLO polyester fiber, adjusted only by the spec and blend a given product calls for.

 

 

In apparel, CiCLO polyester fiber shows up in activewear, everyday knitwear, and technical outerwear, holding the stretch, breathability, and durability those categories demand while adding a genuine end-of-life story. In home textiles - bedding, towels, curtains - the same CiCLO polyester fiber delivers the hand-feel and wear resistance buyers expect from standard polyester, with the same environmental profile built in.

 

 

Every batch of CiCLO polyester fiber carries a tracer embedded at extrusion, and certified batches are tested at IAM's U.S. headquarters before a Certificate of Authenticity is issued - so a CiCLO claim on a finished polyester product can actually be checked against something, rather than taken on trust.

Available in filament and staple form for a range of specs and applications - get in touch and we'll talk through what fits your production line.

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