Speaking at trade show Kingpins24, Ms Hegedus (pictured) explained that Lycra is currently working with specific performance-fabric makers in China, as a reliable and consistent supply is vital.

She said: “We want to make sure that whoever we are working with meets our standards for compliance and ethics, and the proximity to our partners helps with the footprint.”

The companies supply textiles cuttings and waste that is polyester rich. “The technology can accommodate blends but we need to look at efficiency and waste. Our partner looks for 100% polyester, or at least 90%, to make it as efficient as possible.”

In the future, the company will look to use post-consumer as well as pre-consumer waste. “Using garments is a bit more complicated,” admitted Ms Hegedus. “But we are hoping in two to three years we will be able to take garments.”

A lifecycle analysis by Lycra’s technology partner showed that compared with using virgin polyester, using recycled fibres reduces carbon emissions by 25%, energy by 40% and uses 10% less water.

Lycra’s chief innovation officer, Steve Stewart, and new recruit Ebru Ozaydin, marketing director of denim and ready-to-wear, presented Freefit technology at the show. It is driven by a yarn and fabric innovation that delivers stretch, recovery and retractive power to have a “wider fit window”.