US next-generation fiber producer Everbloom has developed a recycled fiber called Renoa, made from keratin-rich textile scraps and waste (including down). According to wwd.com, this is the first new apparel fiber classification approved by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 25 years.

Under FTC classification rules, applicants for a new fiber must demonstrate that the material is fundamentally different from existing fibers and pass strict regulatory review. Everbloom co-founders Simardev Gulati and Mike Jaffe began related R&D six years ago, aiming to convert proteins from down, wool, and cashmere waste into a new fiber.

Gulati said protein is one of nature's most abundant molecules, and the team wanted to find a way to use it—retaining the hand feel, breathability, and softness of protein fibers while also achieving the scalability and spinnability of industrial fiber manufacturing.

On the technical path, Everbloom's proprietary Braid.AI platform combines predictive modeling with thermoplastic protein engineering to optimize the conversion of keratin-rich materials into usable fibers. The platform can predict fiber properties such as dyeability, softness, strength, and texture before formal production, thereby accelerating material development. Gulati said that in the past, actual experiments were needed, but now many experiments can be simulated, shortening the development cycle from nearly eight months to less than eight weeks.

In its proprietary patented production process, Everbloom first purifies and refines keratin-rich textile waste to obtain the purest protein form, then structurally reinforces the protein and converts it into fibers compatible with existing spinning equipment and supply chains, ultimately producing recycled materials that replace virgin wool and cashmere.

Renoa is entirely produced in the United States using local resources. Gulati explained that the initial choice of localization was influenced by COVID-19 restrictions in the early days of fiber development, but the team later decided to continue this model because it allows collaboration with US partners and helps protect its own system. The fiber's protein raw materials come from US waste partners, spinning is completed in North Carolina, and it collaborates with North Carolina State University and partners in Florida and Tennessee. He mentioned that for intellectual property reasons, it is important to first establish and consolidate IP in the US before considering whether to offshore production.

Domestic production and the use of US textile waste also form part of Renoa's sustainability narrative. According to Everbloom data, the fashion industry generates more than 20 billion pounds of keratin-rich textile waste each year; and farming and processing virgin wool, cashmere, and down is one of the sources of about 10% of the industry's annual greenhouse gas emissions. Gulati said wool, cashmere, and silk are among the most resource-intensive fibers, and Renoa uses 99% less land and water than these materials and about 87% less energy, significantly improving its life cycle assessment (LCA).

Everbloom is currently working with multiple brands to use Renoa in apparel across categories from knit to woven. Gulati believes FTC recognition will help Everbloom continue to scale Renoa and bring it to a broader textile market; however, the company wants to grow cautiously and in a measured way to avoid repeating the failures of some next-generation material companies that were hindered in scaling up. He said the company views this material as the future, and its recent important goal is scale—before claiming to have a product externally, it must first be able to supply customers.

For the old clothing and textile recycling industry, the significance of this case is that old materials and scraps such as down, wool, and cashmere are expected to move from low-value recycling streams to high-value-added recycled fibers, and to achieve a market access breakthrough such as an official fiber classification.

Source: Renoa Receives First New FTC Fiber Classification in 25 Years · Originally published on 2026-09-15