Hyosung updates on sugarcane-derived spandex
Korean textiles maker Hyosung TNC has given an update on its progress towards supplying a partially biobased elastane made using bio-BDO from sugarcane.
The raw material from Brazil is currently fermenting in a facility in Vietnam; next, it will travel to another Hyosung-owned facility in the country to be turned into bio-BDO, Inside Denim understands.
This will be mixed with other ingredients and then extruded into spandex, which will have the same quality as the petroleum-derived version. The first partially bioderived (as not every ingredient is able to be made from natural sources) spandex is expected on the market this autumn, with 50,000 tonnes available by the end of the year.
As a principal sponsor at the Global Fashion Summit 2026 in Copenhagen (May 5-7), Hyosung took part in an on-stage panel session at the DR Concert Hall.
Sora Yoo, vice-president of marketing, addressed why recycled spandex alone is not enough. She said low-impact elastane is mostly pre-consumer recycled, with supply limited by how much manufacturing waste the industry generates. This ceiling is what drove the group to invest nearly $1 billion in a fully integrated bio-based production system in Vietnam.
She added that a successful shift away from fossil-based stretch needs industrial-scale infrastructure, trusted sourcing systems and long-term value chain partnerships.
As part of its Summit programme, Hyosung aired its episode of Fashion Redressed II. The film, produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, aims to simplify the manufacturing process and tell the story of the Brazilian farmers who supply the sugarcane.
Photo: Decarbonisation panel at the Global Fashion Summit
