Innovative yarns | Recycled Olefin

A by-product of the petrochemical industry, olefin is a synthetic yarn created by Nobel Prize-winning Italian scientists Guilio Natta and Karl Ziegler in the 1950s.

Olefin is referred to as an upcycled product as it is made from propylene gas which, prior to the invention of olefin, was burnt off during oil production. It is manufactured through a process of polymerization which uses titanium as a catalyst; this means that singular molecules (granules) are linked to form a chain of repeated structural units.

This chain is then melted at an extremely high temperature and colours are infused into the polymer, achieving the superior colourfastness olefin textiles are known for. To spin the resin into yarn it is extruded through a spinneret composed of small holes and elongated by applying external tensile force, as the resin is pulled it is cooled, resembling a glass rod which can be manufactured into yarn.

Pre-consumer olefin textile waste including fibres, yarns, flawed fabrics, and off cuts are collected from the mill’s own stock as well as from a local company who provide textile waste storage services on a global scale.

Once collected, these waste textiles are shredded and converted into transparent recycled olefin granules. In a process similar to solution dyeing, which is used to colour acrylic, polyester, and cotton fibres, the olefin granules are dyed to achieve James Dunlop’s curated colour selection.

Once coloured, the granules are melted into resin and spun into yarn in the same way as its virgin predecessor. This yarn is then expertly woven into durable outdoor textiles of equal quality to olefin.

·         Zero water is consumed during the production process 

·         Constructed from 100% pre-consumer textile waste (e.g., fibres, yarns, flawed fabrics, and off cuts)

·         Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified

·         Oeko-Tex 100 certified

·         UV and stain resistant

·         Water repellent

·         Bleach cleanable

·         Contains no lead-based pigments 

·         40 % lower carbon footprint value than virgin polypropylene yarn 

·         50 % lower carbon footprint value than virgin polyester yarn  

·         70 % lower carbon footprint value than virgin acrylic yarn 

·         78 % less oil consumption than virgin polypropylene yarn 

·         80 % less oil consumption than virgin polyester yarn 

·         85 % less oil consumption than virgin acrylic yarn

James Dunlop’s Alfresco collection of outdoor textiles includes 100% recycled olefin textiles. Woven in Turkey and double-tumbled for a soft residential handle, these textiles achieve our Eco Standard and are available in an extensive palette of neutrals and decorative, summer-inspired shades.

Explore the complete Alfresco Collection.