This is encouraging news for the European outdoor industry. On November 25, Australian biotechnology company Samsara Eco and the European Outdoor Group (EOG) launched the Nylon Materials Collective, a collaboration designed to make high-performance recycled nylon more accessible to outdoor brands. The initiative forms part of a broader drive to accelerate the sector’s transition to a circular textile economy.

The Nylon Materials Collective is open to all EOG members and will be officially launched ahead of ISPO Munich 2025, where Samsara Eco will showcase its recycled nylon samples. But why did the EOG choose Samsara Eco? Founded in 2021, the Australian company specialises in recycling nylon 6,6 and polyester using enzymatic technologies- a strategy that has set it apart from direct competitors such as Matter, Recycling Technologies and ReCircle.

A collective of small and medium-sized enterprises

The high-performance recycled nylon produced by Samsara Eco is indistinguishable from virgin nylon, a material highly prized by outdoor brands. Despite their environmental ambitions, small and medium-sized players in the outdoor sector still find recycled nylon hard to access. That is why the EOG has joined forces with Samsara Eco: the Nylon Materials Collective is a collaborative demand-aggregation system that enables brands to participate collectively and access recycled materials.

And to keep the collective running smoothly, participating companies must share “similar performance requirements, supply chain partners, and material specifications,” in the words of both parties.

Preparing for future regulations

“We want to do everything we can to help more brands access our materials so we can all reap the benefits of the circular economy,” said Sarah Cook, Samsara Eco’s commercial director. “The Nylon Materials Collective will make it easier for outdoor brands of all sizes to access and integrate recycled materials that are identical to the virgin material into future product ranges, whether they have more modest material needs or typically purchase at the fabric level,” she added.

This partnership also helps brands strengthen their position ahead of forthcoming European regulations on the circular economy, concerning “extended producer responsibility and minimum recycled content obligations.”

Focus on circular materials

Katy Stevens, CSR and Sustainability Manager at the EOG, says: “The Nylon Materials Collective represents an opportunity for our members to work together with innovators like Samsara Eco to facilitate access to recycled nylon and accelerate the industry’s transition to circular materials.”

For the European Outdoor Group, which represents around 150 brands, retailers, associations, and organisations along the value chain, this partnership is a concrete step to support the sector in its activities, so that it can “give more than it receives”.