PrimaLoft, Inc. Partners with Leading Outdoor Brands Introducing PrimaLoft ® Bio™ Beginning Fall 2020

LATHAM, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PrimaLoft, Inc., a global leader in advanced material technology, today announced its partnership with five iconic outdoor brands to introduce PrimaLoft® Bio™, the first 100% recycled, biodegradable synthetic apparel Insulation and Performance Fabric. In tandem with Helly Hansen, Houdini, L.L.Bean, Norrøna and Vaude, apparel featuring PrimaLoft® Bio™ will first debut at retail in fall 2020, with some brands debuting styles in the following seasons. Brand partner concept styles will be on display at PrimaLoft booth #56004-UL at Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, January 30^th – February 1^st, 2019.

"We've collaborated with a community of brands that share our common sustainability values and goals," said PrimaLoft president and CEO, Mike Joyce. "It is a privilege to introduce PrimaLoft® Bio™ with these respected companies – all of whom provided invaluable insight and feedback on this technology. Together, we are establishing a new industry standard for environmentally conscious product design, sustainability best practices and transparency, to meet consumer demand."

Made from 100% post-consumer recycled material, PrimaLoft® Bio™ fibers break down when exposed to specific environments – such as a landfill or the ocean. PrimaLoft has enhanced the fibers to be more attractive to the naturally-occurring microbes found in these environments so that they eat away at the fibers at a faster rate, returning the fabric or insulation to natural elements. Fibers will only biodegrade when exposed to these naturally-occurring microbes in landfills or bodies of water, thus, the insulation or fabric remains highly durable throughout its usable life cycle in a garment.

"PrimaLoft and our brand partners are committed to extending the life of garments through recycling, repurposing and reuse," said Joyce. "This is not a promotion of discarding garments prematurely or without serious regard. Rather, this is about providing a Relentlessly Responsible solution for the inevitable end-life of a garment when the time eventually comes."

Helly Hansen, a leader in performance ski and sailing apparel and premium workwear, will launch products with PrimaLoft® Bio™ in North America and Europe.

"Helly Hansen designs performance products keeping consumers protected and comfortable, especially in harsh and unpredictable conditions," said Philip Tavell, Category Managing Director, Ski/Mountain at Helly Hansen. "We've partnered with PrimaLoft for many years to introduce high-performing apparel for skiing, sailing and outdoor adventure, including the recent introduction of our lighter, warmer LifaLoft™ performance insulation. PrimaLoft® Bio™ enables us to continue pushing our sustainability efforts forward, without sacrificing the performance we've come to expect from their best in class technologies. It's a win-win for consumers and the outdoors."

PrimaLoft and L.L.Bean, a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel, have teamed up to debut multiple PrimaLoft® technologies, dating back to the 1980's.

"L.L.Bean and PrimaLoft have worked together since 1989, when we introduced our Mountain Light Jacket, the first PrimaLoft-insulated garment, and outfitted 30 international climbers for the Everest Peace Climb," said Tom Armstrong, Chief Merchandising Officer at L.L.Bean. "Today, PrimaLoft is an established leader in sustainability stewardship and material innovation that is changing the tide in the outdoor industry. From its Cross Core insulation that uses NASA aerogel to PrimaLoft® Bio™, PrimaLoft enables us to push the envelope for consumer comfort and answer the growing demand for brand accountability, while supporting our mission of helping more people experience the outdoors."

Norrøna, a Norwegian outdoor company that continuously pushes the boundaries of functional product design to offer premium quality gear for any adventure, counts sustainability as an essential foundation throughout their entire value chain.

"At Norrøna, sustainability and protecting the environment are top priorities, and we consider these efforts to be the most important work that we do," said Jørgen Jørgensen, owner and CEO, Norrøna. "We are happy to see that PrimaLoft also recognizes the importance of addressing and prioritizing these issues. As a partner for many years, we at Norrøna are excited to be a part of this launch."

To date, PrimaLoft has saved 95 million plastic bottles from landfills and transformed them into premium insulation technologies. By 2020, 90% of PrimaLoft® insulation products will have at least 50% post-consumer recycled content, without compromising performance; this includes the introduction of three 100% PCR insulation products, this past year. PrimaLoft expects to continue to push the industry forward with a similar commitment to biodegradable technology across its product portfolio.

*Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions

**Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium or Natural Sea Water Inoculum

About Helly Hansen: Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional grade apparel that helps people stay and feel alive.  Through insights drawn from living and working in the world's harshest environments, the company has developed a long list of first-to-market innovations, including the first supple waterproof fabrics more than 140 years ago. Other breakthroughs include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical base layers in the 1970s, made with Lifa® Stay Dry Technology, and today's award winning and patented H2Flow™ temperature regulating system. Helly Hansen is a leader in technical sailing and performance ski apparel, as well as premium workwear. Its ski uniforms are worn and trusted by more than 55,000 professionals and can be found on Olympians, National Teams, and at more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations around the world. Helly Hansen's outerwear, base layers, sportswear and footwear are sold in more than 40 countries and trusted by outdoor professionals and enthusiasts around the world. To learn more about Helly Hansen's latest collections, visit www.hellyhansen.com.

About L.L.Bean: L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. L.L.Bean is a family-owned Maine company led by Executive Chairman, Shawn Gorman, the great-grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean and Stephen Smith, President and CEO. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In the past ten years the company has provided over $30 million to nonprofit organizations. L.L.Bean currently operates 44 stores in 18 states across the United States, along with 28 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.

About Norrøna: In 1929, Jørgen Jørgensen, a Norwegian outdoor enthusiast, set Norrøna's bearing: to search for the best in technical advancements, to create the ultimate in performance product. Today, four generations later, Norrøna is still a privately-held and family-operated company based in Oslo, Norway, seeking to redefine the meaning of fit, function and finish in sustainably sourced and built technical outerwear. www.norrona.com

About PrimaLoft, Inc.: PrimaLoft, Inc., an advanced material technology company based in Latham, New York with offices in Munich, Germany and Xiamen, China, is the world leader in research and innovative development of comfort solutions with high performance insulations and fabrics. The PrimaLoft^® brand, a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., delivers feel-good products that are used in the top global outdoor and fashion brands, home furnishings, work wear, hunting and military applications. PrimaLoft^® insulation was originally developed for the U.S. army as a water-resistant, synthetic alternative to down. Today, the brand is recognized as a benchmark in the outdoor industry for providing unsurpassed comfort in any condition, ultimately empowering users to stay in the moment. PrimaLoft, Inc. is active in sustainable textile production through partnerships with the bluesign® system, the International OEKO-TEX® Association, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index and the Global Recycled Standard. For more information, please visit www.PrimaLoft.com, and follow PrimaLoft on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PrimaLoft^®, Feel the Performance™.

84.9% biodegradation in 457 days under ASTM D5511* conditions; 56.1% biodegradation in 441 days under ASTM D6691** conditions.

SOURCE PrimaLoft, Inc.

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