NERIDE® Biodegradable: nylon-6 yarn that biodegrades at the end of its useful life

At NUREL, we believe that technological innovation must respond to the real challenges facing the industry, especially when it comes to sustainability and end-of-life products. That is why, as part of our ‘12 months, 12 innovations’ series, we are kicking off 2026 with a solution aimed at one of the most complex challenges in the textile sector: what to do with fabrics that are difficult to recycle when they reach the end of their useful life.

A global challenge: textile waste and the difficulty of recycling

The reality is that sorting, collecting and recycling used or surplus garments is becoming increasingly difficult due to the presence of mixtures of synthetic and natural fibres, which limits the viability of recycling in many cases and means that a significant proportion of the waste ends up in landfill.

This problem is exacerbated in a context where the environmental impact of the textile sector is growing and where the industry needs alternatives that provide solutions when recycling is not technically feasible.

What is NERIDE® Biodegradable?

NERIDE® Biodegradable is a nylon 6 (PA6) yarn developed by NUREL to offer a more sustainable end-of-life cycle in scenarios where textiles end up in landfill or in contact with soil.

From a product perspective, the objective is clear: to maintain textile performance throughout its useful life and, when the material can no longer be recovered by conventional means, to allow it to biodegrade in biologically active environments such as soil or landfill.

Furthermore, NUREL frames this development within NUREL FIBERS, the division specialising in synthetic fibres and the transformation of nylon into high-performance materials.

Find out more on our NERIDE® Biodegradable page.

How it works: biodegradation without ‘oxo-degradation’