Patagonia invests in textile processing

Outdoor apparel company Patagonia has announced an investment in CO2Nexus Inc., based in Denver, for a new textile processing method which uses liquid carbon dioxide and is claimed to use no water and reduce energy consumption and waste generation. This announcement marks a significant investment made by Patagonia through its US $ 20 Million & Change Fund launched in 2013 to help innovative, like-minded start-up companies to bring about solutions to the environmental crisis through business. “Quite simply, processing textiles and apparel requires huge amounts of energy and water – and both are in crisis. CO2Nexus is a great fit for US $ 20 Million & Change – it’s a young company using business and innovation to bring about positive benefits to the environment. Patagonia is proud to invest in their success,” said Rose Marcario, CEO, Patagonia. CO2Nexus’ unique system, called TERSUS®, can process textiles using the same CO2 that provides fizz to beverages. The process is fast, with 20-30 minute cycle times, and requires no separate dryer, conserving significant energy as a result.