Sympatex/DSM
Sympatex 
After several years of research, more than 25% of the raw materials used in the membranes from the manufacturer of membranes and functional materials Sympatex Technologies GmbH, Unterföhring/Germany, will be converted to renewable raw materials in the course of 2021.
At the same time, the company will ensure that the membrane not only retains its high performance values in terms of breathability as well as water and wind-proofness, but also remains fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle.
In addition, global life sciences and materials sciences company Royal DSM NV, Heerlen/Netherlands, will launch mass-balanced bio-based Arnitel, a thermoplastic elastomer, together with Sympatex Technologies. Arnitel is manufactured with bio-based feedstock using a mass-balance approach. The end product contains more than 25% bio-based content by weight.
Sympatex uses Arnitel to manufacture its waterproof, windproof, and breathable membranes for sports applications. The transition to bio-based feedstock will maintain the functional properties of Arnitel and will enable Sympatex to shift to a more sustainable solution with a lower carbon footprint without having to requalify materials.
One of the first brands in whose collection this milestone will be effective is Mammut Sports Group AG, Seon/Switzerland, which will hit stores with a Sympatex collection in the coming winter season.