The Layers Closest to Us
Underwear is the layer closest to our skin. It shapes how we move, how we feel, and how we carry ourselves. Yet when it wears out, it rarely finds a second life. Most underwear and lingerie cannot be recycled. The fibers that make them soft, elastic, and supportive are also the ones that make them nearly impossible to reprocess. Nylon, polyester, spandex, and elastane give garments stretch and durability, but they leave an invisible footprint that lingers for decades.
When Comfort Comes at a Cost
The challenge is not marginal. Synthetic fibers already make up nearly two thirds of all fiber production worldwide. In 2022 alone, virgin fossil based synthetics numbered around sixty seven million tonnes, while recycled fibers still underpin less than one percent of total global fiber output. On the micro front, textile waste from synthetic garments is estimated to contribute between two hundred thousand and five hundred thousand tonnes of microplastics into our oceans each year. When we look at intimate apparel blends such as cotton elastane, microplastic release jumps. One study measured forty-six microfibers per square centimeter from a ninety-eight percent blend in just its first wash. Across millions of garments, the impact is profound and cumulative.
The Plastic Thread That Ties It All Together
The consequences extend beyond the planet. Laboratory tests show that thirty percent of underwear products contain bisphenols, and ten percent exceed levels considered unsafe. These chemicals can disrupt hormones and affect women’s health. Conventional intimate apparel presents challenges that are ecological and personal.
The Recycling Roadblock
Recycling underwear and lingerie is nearly impossible. Even a small amount of elastane can block mechanical recycling, and most intimate apparel is never collected for reuse or repurposing. Garments persist for decades, shedding microplastics and chemical residues along the way.
A New Chapter for Intimates
This is where Natra supports brands to change the story. We are creating a new category in lace, delivering a safe, near zero plastic, plant based alternative that elevates wellness and sustainability. Our textiles are crafted to combine comfort, stretch, and durability with a commitment to health and the planet. Innovation begins at the fiber, where science and nature converge to create fabrics that are high performing, safe, and fully biodegradable.
Natra delivers plant based, high performance textiles that set a new standard for wellness and sustainability in intimate apparel and lingerie. By eliminating plastics in textiles, we provide brands with a solution to reduce environmental and health risks, meet consumer expectations for conscious design, and lead the industry toward a circular future.
With Natra, lingerie brands can offer products that are safe, high performing, and regenerative. Our lace no longer contributes to pollution or hidden health risks. Every yard embodies our purpose: to eliminate plastics, elevate wellness, and redefine what intimacy in apparel can mean.
Citations:
Textile Exchange. Materials Market Report 2024. Shows that virgin fossil‑based synthetic fiber production reached around 67 million tonnes in 2022 and that recycled fibers still account for less than 1% of global fiber output. Textile Exchange+1
European Environment Agency. Microplastics from textiles: towards a circular economy for textiles. Estimates that textile waste from synthetic garments contributes between 200 000 and 500 000 tonnes of microplastics into the oceans each year. eea.europa.eu
Ranjan et al. “Investigation on microfiber release from elastane blended fabrics and its environmental significance.” Quantifies that a 92/8 cotton/elastane blend released about 46 microfibers per cm² in its first wash
