Brands & technologies · Regenerated nylon brand

ECONYL®

Regenerated nylon brand · understand the name behind the label.

Reviewed 2026-09-22. Evidence level: verified. Open the interactive profile.

Key figures

Owner: Aquafil Group (Arco, Italy)
Generic fiber: Nylon 6 (polyamide 6)
Monomer recovered: epsilon-caprolactam
Regeneration site: Ljubljana, Slovenia (since 2011)
Main waste inputs (producer): fishing nets, carpet fiber, industrial nylon scrap

Approximate values under the stated conditions.

Overview

Aquafil’s regenerated nylon brand. Identify the product, composition and documented waste inputs rather than assuming all feedstock is fishing nets.

Feel and behavior

Depends on the specified fiber grade, yarn and fabric construction.

Where you find it

See the linked underlying material and the producer’s product-specific documentation.

Source and geography

ECONYL is a trademark of the Aquafil Group, headquartered in Arco, Italy. The underlying generic fiber is nylon 6 (polyamide 6), regenerated from nylon waste. Aquafil states that its depolymerization and repolymerization take place at its site in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which has hosted the ECONYL regeneration system since 2011. Aquafil lists inputs such as discarded fishing nets, carpet face fiber and industrial nylon scrap; the mix varies by product and period.

Advantages

Depolymerization to purified caprolactam gives nylon that Aquafil says matches virgin nylon 6 in quality, unlike many mechanically recycled plastics.
It uses post-consumer and post-industrial nylon waste, including carpet fluff and fishing nets, as feedstock.
Aquafil publishes third-party verified EPDs, giving auditable impact data.
The same route can in principle regenerate ECONYL products again at end of life if they are collected and are nylon 6.

Drawbacks

It is still a synthetic that sheds microplastic fibers in washing, like virgin nylon.
Most apparel uses blend it with elastane, which makes the finished garment hard to recycle.
Marketing emphasis on ocean fishing nets can overstate that feedstock's share.
Only nylon 6 can be regenerated this way; nylon 6,6 and mixed waste are excluded.

Worth knowing

Aquafil states that every 10,000 tonnes of ECONYL raw material avoids about 65,100 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions compared with oil-based caprolactam.
Nylon 6 suits this closed loop because it depolymerizes cleanly back to a single monomer, caprolactam, which can be distilled to high purity.

Types, grades and fabrics

Types and grades

ECONYL is a regenerated nylon 6 sold in several product forms. The main textile line is nylon textile filament (NTF) yarn, supplied in fine deniers for hosiery, swimwear, activewear and lingerie, with flat and textured variants. A second major line is bulked continuous filament (BCF) yarn for carpets, which Aquafil also makes in its own carpet-yarn business. Aquafil publishes separate Environmental Product Declarations for its textile filament yarns, so specifications and impact figures should be matched to the exact product and EPD version.

Fabrics and products

Textile ECONYL yarns go into swimwear and bikinis (usually warp-knit with elastane), leggings and sports bras, hosiery, lingerie, lightweight windbreakers, backpacks and bags, and tricot linings. Carpet yarns are tufted into commercial carpet tiles and broadloom. In most apparel, ECONYL nylon is combined with a substantial share of elastane or with other fibers, which affects the recycled share and end-of-life recyclability of the product.

Buying and care

How to judge quality

The content label must say nylon or polyamide; ECONYL appears only alongside it. Ask the brand for the ECONYL share of total fiber content, since swimwear often contains a significant elastane fraction. Aquafil's EPDs and any recycled-content certificate should name the yarn. Physically, good nylon swim fabric feels dense and springy, recovers quickly after stretching and is opaque when stretched; thin fabric that goes see-through or bags out is a construction issue, not a fiber issue. Be skeptical of claims that a product is 'made from fishing nets' without a stated share, as Aquafil uses several waste streams.

Care in detail

Swimwear and activewear in ECONYL nylon should be rinsed in cool fresh water soon after use to remove chlorine, salt and sunscreen, then hand washed or machine washed cold on a gentle cycle with mild detergent. Avoid fabric softener, which clogs knit structures and holds odor. Do not wring; press out water and dry flat in the shade, since UV degrades both nylon and elastane. Never tumble dry hot or iron swimwear; nylon softens on heating and elastane loses recovery. For other nylon garments, iron only on a low to medium setting. A wash bag reduces snagging and fiber shedding.

Care at a glance

Follow the finished product’s care label. A trademark does not specify the care needs of every blend or construction.

Environmental and social footprint

Aquafil states that ECONYL nylon can reduce the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with nylon from oil, and that for every 10,000 tonnes of ECONYL raw material about 65,100 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions are avoided; it attributes part of this to renewable electricity at its plant. These figures come from Aquafil and its EPDs, which are third-party verified within the EPD system but use Aquafil's functional units and baselines. Chemical depolymerization itself needs heat and steam, so gains depend on the energy mix. At the use stage, nylon sheds microfibers in laundering like other synthetics; a 2021 review in Heliyon (Gaylarde and colleagues) summarizes evidence that laundering synthetic textiles is a major source of microfibers. Recycled origin does not change that persistence.

Tradeoffs

Producer claims apply to defined products and comparisons. This atlas does not independently certify performance, sourcing or environmental claims.

A useful question to ask: Which exact grade, composition and current producer documentation apply to this product?

Science

Recovered material, retained chemistry

Recycled describes the feedstock history, not a new polymer family.

Structure and chemistry

Nylon 6 is an aliphatic polyamide built from a single monomer, epsilon-caprolactam, which ring-opens so that each repeat unit contains five methylene groups and one amide linkage. Hydrogen bonds between amide groups on neighboring chains give nylon its strength, toughness and moderate moisture absorption. ECONYL is chemically identical to virgin nylon 6 because it is rebuilt from purified caprolactam. Filament cross-sections are usually round, and properties are set by drawing, texturing and polymer grade rather than by the waste source.

From source to yarn

Aquafil describes the ECONYL Regeneration System as follows: nylon waste is collected, sorted and cleaned, and non-nylon components are separated. The nylon enters a chemical depolymerization in which steam, heat and a catalyst break the polymer back to caprolactam, which is vaporized, condensed and purified in distillation columns. The purified monomer is repolymerized into nylon 6, which is melt-spun into textile filament yarn (and into carpet yarn). Aquafil publishes Environmental Product Declarations for ECONYL yarns covering its own life-cycle claims.

Performance in use

ECONYL performs as nylon 6: high tenacity and abrasion resistance, good elastic recovery at low strain, and moisture regain of a few percent, higher than polyester. It is thermoplastic and softens and melts on heating, so ironing temperature matters. Acid dyes bind to terminal amine groups, and disperse dyes can also be used. Nylon yellows and loses strength under prolonged UV exposure unless stabilized. Aquafil's claim that ECONYL matches virgin nylon quality refers to its purified monomer route.

How it is identified

Burn tests are indicative only: nylon melts and shrinks from flame, burns with a celery-like odor and leaves a hard bead. FTIR identifies polyamide and differential scanning calorimetry separates nylon 6 from nylon 6,6 by melting point. No lab test distinguishes ECONYL from virgin nylon 6. A frequent overstatement is that all ECONYL comes from ocean fishing nets; Aquafil itself lists several waste streams.

History

Timeline

Mid-1990sAquafil expanded into Slovenia through the privatization of a former state company. [1]
2007Aquafil began pursuing a full waste-to-yarn regeneration loop for nylon 6. [1]
2011Aquafil launched the ECONYL Regeneration System, with depolymerization to caprolactam and repolymerization at Ljubljana, Slovenia. [2]
2018Aquafil published an Environmental Product Declaration for ECONYL nylon textile filament yarns. [3]

The brand connects nylon recovery with new yarn and product applications. It is a branded route within polyamide recycling, not a new natural fiber.

The deeper record

Aquafil, founded as a nylon yarn maker in Italy, expanded into Slovenia in the mid-1990s through the privatization of a former state company. It experimented with nylon recycling in the 1990s and from 2007 pursued a full waste-to-yarn loop, launching the ECONYL regeneration system in 2011. The brand gained visibility through fashion and swimwear collaborations and through campaigns linking fishing-net recovery to marine conservation. Nylon 6 lends itself to this route because, unlike many polymers, it depolymerizes cleanly back to a single monomer.

Labeling and law

ECONYL is a trademark, not a generic name. US labels must use nylon under the TFPIA and 16 CFR Part 303, and EU labels polyamide or nylon under Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. Recycled or regenerated content claims must be substantiated; buyers can ask for Aquafil's published EPDs and for any third-party recycled-content certificate covering the specific yarn. The brand name alone does not establish the recycled share of a finished fabric.

This describes what rules and standards cover. It is not legal advice; jurisdiction, product form and current rule text control.

Frequently asked

Is ECONYL made from ocean plastic?

Partly, sometimes. Aquafil uses several nylon waste streams, including discarded fishing nets, carpet face fiber and industrial scrap. The share of fishing nets varies, so a product claim should state the specific content rather than implying all the nylon came from the sea.

Is ECONYL as strong as regular nylon?

Aquafil says yes, because the waste is broken down to caprolactam, purified and repolymerized into nylon 6, the same polymer as virgin nylon 6. Durability of a garment still depends on yarn denier, knit construction and elastane content.

Does ECONYL shed microplastics?

Yes. Regenerated nylon is chemically nylon 6 and sheds fibers in washing like virgin nylon. Washing cold, using full but not overloaded machines, wash bags or filters, and washing less often reduce release.

Sources

Cite this page

Chaos. (2026). ECONYL®. In Fibers of Earth: An independent textile atlas. https://www.hendrickresearch.com/fibers/materials/econyl/