Is Econyl (Recycled Nylon) Plastic-Free?
The honest chemistry, the performance trade-offs, and a straight verdict for founders deciding what their next line is actually made of.
Verdict: Not plastic-free, it is plasticRecycled nylon, including the Econyl brand, is still plastic. It is polyamide regenerated from nylon waste such as discarded fishing nets and fabric scraps, reprocessed into fiber. Diverting that waste is a real environmental win over virgin nylon, but the resulting fiber is the same polyamide plastic, it does not biodegrade, and it still sheds microplastics. Recycled plastic is a better use of plastic, not a plastic-free fabric.
What is Econyl (Recycled Nylon)?
Recycled nylon is polyamide fiber made from recovered nylon waste rather than virgin petroleum. Econyl, made by Aquafil, is the best-known brand and is regenerated largely from ocean and landfill waste like fishing nets, carpet, and fabric offcuts. Chemically the end fiber is polyamide, the same plastic as conventional nylon.
- Fiber type
- Synthetic thermoplastic (recycled petroleum polyamide)
- Source
- Post-consumer nylon waste (fishing nets, fabric, carpet)
- Biodegradable
- No
- Sheds microplastics
- Yes
How is Econyl (Recycled Nylon) made?
Econyl uses chemical (depolymerization) recycling: nylon waste is broken back down to its caprolactam building block and re-polymerized into new nylon of virgin-equivalent quality, which can be recycled again. That is more circular than mechanical recycling, but the output is still petroleum-origin polyamide plastic.
How does Econyl (Recycled Nylon) perform?
Effectively identical to virgin nylon: strong, abrasion-resistant, smooth, and elastic-feeling, with the same excellent performance in swimwear and activewear. The advantage is a lower first-life footprint and waste diversion. The downsides are unchanged: it is plastic, it does not biodegrade, and it sheds microplastics in the wash.
So, is Econyl (Recycled Nylon) plastic-free?
No. Recycled nylon is not plastic-free; it is recycled plastic. Regenerating waste nylon (especially closed-loop, like Econyl) is a genuine improvement over virgin nylon and worth choosing when nylon is unavoidable, but it does not change the fiber's plastic nature or its microplastic shedding. For a garment that is actually not plastic, the polymer itself has to change, from petroleum polyamide to a plant-based one.
The shedding is not hypothetical. In a controlled laundering study (Carney Almroth et al., Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2017, DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0528-7), knitted nylon released synthetic microfibers in amounts statistically comparable to polyester, with no significant difference between them. Because the polymer is a petroleum plastic, those fibers persist in the environment instead of biodegrading. Recycling the feedstock does not change this: Econyl is made by depolymerizing nylon-6 waste back to its caprolactam building block and repolymerizing it, so the finished fiber is the same polyamide-6 as virgin nylon and behaves the same way in the wash.
Where you see it: Sustainability-positioned swimwear, activewear, and outerwear marketed on recycled or ocean-plastic content.
The OHZEHN-TEX™ take
Recycled nylon is the smart choice when a brand is committed to nylon and wants waste diversion. OHZEHN-TEX™ is our own bio-based performance fabric platform: bio-based nylon PA6.10 made from castor oil, with a bio-based stretch fibre made from sugarcane.
Where this fiber lands in production
On the production side, this fiber shows up in a few specific places. Econyl (Recycled Nylon) shows up most in swim fabric and leggings and sports bra production, and the standard that governs all of it is set out at apparel sourcing.
Frequently asked questions
Is recycled nylon (Econyl) plastic-free?
No. Recycled nylon is polyamide regenerated from nylon waste like fishing nets. It is still the same plastic polymer as virgin nylon, still does not biodegrade, and still sheds microplastics. It is recycled plastic, which is better than virgin, but not plastic-free.
Is Econyl better than virgin nylon?
For footprint and waste, yes: it diverts nylon waste and can be recycled repeatedly through chemical recycling. For the plastic and microplastic problem, no: it is the same polyamide and sheds the same way. Choose recycled nylon over virgin when you must use nylon; choose a plant-based fiber to leave plastic entirely.
What is the plant-based alternative to recycled nylon?
Castor-oil-derived polyamide changes the feedstock from petroleum to a plant while keeping nylon-like strength and hand. That plant-based polyamide is the chemistry OHZEHN-TEX is built on. For a fuller side-by-side, see the OHZEHN-TEX vs recycled nylon comparison.
Does recycled nylon (Econyl) shed microplastics?
Yes. Because recycled nylon is the same polyamide-6 polymer as virgin nylon, it sheds the same persistent plastic microfibers when washed. A controlled laundering study (Carney Almroth et al., Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2017) found knitted nylon released synthetic microfibers in amounts comparable to polyester, with no statistically significant difference. Unlike cellulosic fibers such as lyocell or cotton, these plastic microfibers do not biodegrade. Diverting fishing-net waste into new fiber is a real win over virgin production, but it does not make the fabric low-shedding or plastic-free.