Your favourite outdoor jackets may soon be insulated with recycled clothing waste

The outdoor industry has spent years turning plastic bottles, among other things, into jacket insulation.

A new material aims to go one step further by turning discarded clothing waste into high-performance warmth.

Italian insulation specialist Thermore has unveiled Ecodown Fibres T2T, a new synthetic padding made entirely from recycled polyester sourced from the textile supply chain.

The material is designed to repurpose waste generated during clothing manufacturing and convert it into thermal insulation for outdoor jackets and gear.

Turning fashion waste into functional warmth

Unlike most recycled insulation currently used in performance apparel, which is typically made from PET bottles, Thermore’s new fibre blend incorporates 80% post-industrial textile waste combined with 20% recycled plastic bottles.

The aim is to move closer to a circular textile system in which discarded fabric can be reused in the clothing industry rather than downcycled into lower-value materials.

The company says the insulation offers the same key characteristics expected from modern synthetic padding, including high loft, softness and resistance to clumping over time.

It can also be used across a variety of construction methods, including blown-in baffles or panel-based insulation, making it suitable for a wide range of jacket designs.

A step toward circular outdoor gear

Synthetic insulation plays a major role in many of today’s outdoor jackets, particularly in wet and cold conditions where it often replaces natural down.

Materials like Thermore’s Ecodown have already appeared in numerous fashion and sportswear collections, and this new textile-to-textile version could mark another step toward more sustainable outerwear.

The company says the new insulation is certified under the Global Recycled Standard, as well as the Bluesign and OEKO-TEX safety frameworks, confirming the material's recycled content and chemical safety.

If adopted widely by apparel brands, innovations like this could help reduce the vast amount of textile waste generated by the global clothing industry.

Find out more about the technology at Thermore.