5 Sustainable Textile Technologies You Need to Know
When you buy a waterproof jacket, a durable backpack, or a new pair of outdoor shoes, it is easy to take the fabric at face value. What you see as a single material is actually the result of many different processes, from dyeing and finishing to waterproofing and coating. Each of these steps affects how a product performs, what resources are used to make it, which chemicals workers and the environment are exposed to, and what happens to the material at the end of its life.
This is where ingredient brands play an important role. An ingredient brand is a unique but critical business model, since it’s unrealistic for every brand to develop every specialized technology or material innovation in-house. Ingredient brands are experts in a specific area, developing technologies and materials that can be adopted by multiple brand partners. This allows innovation to move through the industry more quickly, giving companies access to specialized solutions without having to reinvent the technology themselves
These innovations may happen behind the scenes, but they have a direct impact on the products we use every day. Here are five ingredient brands developing sustainable textile technologies worth watching in 2026.
1. Nikwax®: PFAS-Free Waterproofing, Built for Industry
Nikwax has spent decades known for the wash-in waterproofing bottles sold at outdoor retailers, but the company has been pushing further upstream. They recently developed an industrial, PFAS-free waterproof coating aimed at manufacturers, not just end consumers re-treating an old jacket. This move from consumer aftercare products to factory-line coating technology puts Nikwax more firmly into the textile supply chain than most people realize.
It’s a useful signal for the industry. As PFAS restrictions tighten across the EU and a growing list of U.S. states, brands are increasingly looking toward B2B, factory-applied solutions.
2. DyeCoo: Dyeing Without a Drop of Water
Conventional dyeing is one of the most water- and chemical-intensive steps in textile manufacturing. DyeCoo replaces it with a supercritical CO2 process that dyes polyester with no water and no process chemicals, recovering and reusing the CO2 in a closed loop. Nike and Adidas have both adopted the technology at scale, with reported reductions in water and energy use of roughly 50 to 60% at facilities using it.
DyeCoo doesn't affect fiber strength or fabric construction. It is purely a finishing-stage innovation. While it doesn't change the performance of the fabric itself, it can significantly reduce the environmental impact of producing it.
3. Alchemie Technology: Digital, Waterless Finishing
Alchemie's Endeavour platform applies dye and finishing chemistry, including waterproofing and other functional treatments, precisely where it's needed on a fabric. It uses inkjet-style digital application instead of dunking entire rolls of fabric in a bath. Backed by investment from H&M Group, the technology significantly reduces water, chemical, and energy use. What makes Alchemie particularly interesting is that it is an application method, not a specific chemistry. That means it could eventually be used to apply many different finishes, including coatings, more precisely and with far less waste than today's dip-and-cure processes.
4. Bureo®: Turning Ocean Plastic Into Performance Material
Bureo's NetPlus® material is made from discarded commercial fishing nets, collected through take-back programs and recycled into nylon resin used in sunglasses, skateboards, and, increasingly, technical fabric. Patagonia and Finisterre have both used NetPlus in apparel, giving it real visibility as a traceable, ocean-plastic-based alternative to virgin nylon.
Bureo represents a different layer of the sustainability push than the previous three. Its focus is on where the raw material comes from, rather than how the material is finished. Paired with a low-impact coating or finish, recycled-input fabrics like NetPlus can carry a full-lifecycle sustainability story.
5. PolyCore: High-Performance Coatings, Without the PFAS or Solvents
PolyCore’s waterborne PU coatings, including Eco-Coating and Eco-Shield, show that performance and sustainability do not have to be a trade-off. Designed without traditional solvent-based chemistry, the coatings deliver the durability and water resistance needed for demanding textile applications while producing 98% lower VOC emissions than solvent-based alternatives and containing no intentionally added PFAS. With up to 500% greater abrasion resistance, they are designed to help products last longer while reducing the environmental impact of the coating process.
PolyCore is rethinking what happens at the end of a product’s life as well. ReCirX² is a PET coating designed to work seamlessly with polyester, creating a monomaterial that can be recycled through compatible partner recycling systems at the end of its life.
