Recently in California, outdoor apparel and gear giant Patagonia introduced the SugarDown Hoody, the company's first fully bio-based jacket made with Virent's 100% plant-based paraxylene BioForm PX.
SugarDown hoodies are now available online. Using U.S.-grown sugar from Louisiana sugarcane fields, Virent produces paraxylene - a key component of SugarDown Hoody's polyester shell and liner - as well as the polyester component that normally comes from crude oil. In this case, the only difference is that the paraxylene comes directly from the plant.
Patagonia credits Virent's "innovative technology" with helping to produce the company's SugarDown Hoody, the first of its kind to be produced after years of research. The result is a bio-based polyester with the same versatility and performance as petroleum products, but it produces much lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Like all other Patagonia materials, the bio-based polyester in SugarDown hoodies must pass rigorous laboratory and field testing standards. We are pleased to continue to create options for renewable chemicals by expanding the market for 100 percent bio-based plastics, fibers and films," said Dave Kettner, president of Virent. "Our BioForming(r) platform for converting plant-based feedstocks into low-carbon renewable chemicals has the potential to have a broad impact on the renewable energy industry, and we are pleased that Patagonia's customers are benefiting from this advancement in sustainable outdoor apparel.
