Hyosung Launches Bio-based Spandex for Hygiene Products

Spandex manufacturer Hyosung TNC is advancing the development of sugarcane-based BIO spandex for baby diapers and personal hygiene products. This is being developed through its integrated bio-based production system in Phu My II Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is being produced at the new facility using Bio-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) and forms part of the company’s broader long-term bio-based materials platform.   

The development marks an important step in Hyosung’s strategy to move beyond fiber supply and build a more integrated bio-based value chain serving both the hygiene and textile industries. 

The $1 billion investment establishes the world’s first end-to-end sugarcane-to-spandex production system within a single location. Hyosung owns and manages the entire value chain, from feedstock fermentation to finished fiber. This integrated approach ensures complete transparency of the supply chain, giving hygiene manufacturers total supply security, full traceability and certified bio-based content; all without compromising performance. The goal is to support the gradual scale-up of lower-impact alternatives over time. This initiative is built on a foundation of industry collaboration, as working across sectors is essential to drive the innovation required for a more sustainable future. 

Spandex is a critical ingredient in everyday hygiene products, providing the elastic cuffs and waistbands in baby diapers, period care and incontinence products to help deliver fit, comfort and leak protection. Hyosung’s bio-based spandex has been developed to deliver the same stretch, recovery and softness as conventional alternatives, creating a potential pathway for brands seeking to reduce fossil-based inputs.

Hyosung BIO spandex is chemically identical to conventional fossil-derived spandex. Hygiene manufacturers can run it on existing lines with no modifications to equipment, production processes or converting. This makes it easier for brands and OEMs to begin shifting elastics in key SKUs, such as diapers, without major re-engineering. 

The facility and its products hold International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS), SGS EEPS certification for 70% bio-based content and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 safety approval, providing the documentation and chain of custody hygiene brands need to substantiate bio-based claims. Hyosung is also pursuing USDA Bio Preferred status for Bio-BDO, targeted for the third quarter of 2026. 

The Vietnam facility has an initial annual capacity of 50,000 tons of Bio-BDO, with infrastructure in place to support further scaling-up to 200,000 tons per annum as the market for bio-based fiber develops. Unlike conventional BDO, which is derived from coal-based feedstocks, Hyosung’s Bio-BDO utilizes proven fermentation technology from U.S. partner Geno to convert sugars from sugarcane directly into 1,4-Butanediol. 

All sugarcane is sourced from Brazil and verified under the VIVE Sustainable Supply Programme, which ensures rigorous sustainability and traceability standards are met from field to factory gate. 

“The bio business will become a core pillar of Hyosung’s strategy for the next 100 years,” says Hyun-Joon Cho, chairman of Hyosung. “We will strengthen our global market presence based on sustainable biomaterials.” 

Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, Hyosung’s marketing and sustainability director, adds: “By establishing the world’s only fully integrated industrial-scale production system from bio-based BDO to bio-based spandex, we are ensuring reliable production and supply stability. By connecting Bio-BDO with downstream spandex production, we are creating a more transparent and resilient platform that can help customers explore lower-impact alternatives over time.” 

“We have consistently heard from customers about the need for a bio-based stretch solution. Now, we are able to offer not only the performance they expect, but also a story that brands can speak directly to their consumers,” says Scott Blackadar, Hyosung TNC Corporation personal hygiene global leader. 

The same integrated bio-based platform also underpins Hyosung’s work in fashion and activewear categories, including hosiery, leggings, underwear, swimwear and activewear. This is where the company is following a similar pathway of building industrial-scale infrastructure and preparing for wider commercial adoption over time. 

Hyosung recently unveiled its bio-spandex developments at the Global Fashion Summit on May 5-6 in Copenhagen, where it highlighted how the same sugarcane-based technology can support future material transition across both hygiene and fashion categories. Bio-based materials are also emerging as a key focus across hygiene industry platforms such as CIDPEX and INDEX.