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’

A key point is that NERIDE® Biodegradable is not oxo-degradable: it does not break down due to oxygen or UV exposure. Instead, it is designed to biodegrade only when it comes into contact with an active biological environment.

From an industrial standpoint, the yarn is designed to fit established manufacturing routes: it can be processed using conventional PA6 finishing pathways and is intended to maintain PA6 physical properties and shelf life during use.

Biodegradation performance: standards and results

In soil (aerobic):

• According to ISO 17556:2019 testing referenced by NUREL, NERIDE® Biodegradable achieves 76% biodegradation after 90 days in active soil, behaving similarly to cellulose fibres under the same conditions.

In landfill (anaerobic):

• NUREL references ASTM D5511 for anaerobic biodegradation in landfill conditions, reporting up to 84.2% biodegradation after 751 days.

Technical note: biodegradation results can vary depending on the test method, timeframe and environmental conditions; for this reason, results are typically reported as “x% over y days” under specific standardised scenarios.

Potential impact: reducing persistence and enabling energy recovery

Under anaerobic landfill conditions, NUREL describes the end-of-life pathway as conversion into biomass and methane; when methane is properly captured and managed, it can be used as green energy.

NUREL also notes that end-of-life scenarios are critical to carbon footprint calculations, and reports that the largest reduction is achieved when waste is managed in landfill and the resulting methane is converted to energy — delivering approximately a 15% carbon reduction in that scenario.

 

 

 

Addressing a growing issue: complex textiles with limited end-of-life options

Many complex fabrics still end up in landfill due to the lack of viable recycling alternatives. NERIDE® Biodegradable is positioned as a practical response in those cases, aiming to reduce environmental persistence at end of life while maintaining performance during use.

At NUREL, we see this approach as responsible innovation: engineering materials that meet industrial performance requirements while improving end-of-life outcomes when traditional routes are not available.

 

 

12 months, 12 innovations

NERIDE® Biodegradable is the first milestone in our “12 months, 12 innovations” series, where we will share — month by month throughout 2026 — developments that are already delivering impact across our markets. 

 

Want to learn more?

Every industrial application is unique. Let’s assess together how NERIDE® Biodegradable can support your sustainability targets based on your fabric structure, performance requirements and end-of-life scenarios. Contact us at: marketing@nurel.com