Finnish sustainable textile material company Spinnova is partnering with Swedish textile recycling innovator Renewcell to develop and promote a concept to commercialise and scale textile waste-based fibre. The collaboration is thought to be the first of its kind, where textile waste-based fibre can be spun into new fibre without harmful chemicals.

The new fibre production concept combines patented technology from both companies and advances circularity in the fashion and textile industries. The first consumer products from the new textile fibre are expected to be available by the end of 2024.

Renewcell recycles cellulosic-rich textile waste such as cotton and viscose using a patented process, transforming it into a pulp product called Circulose. The biodegradable pulp is produced from 100% recycled textiles and can be used to create new fibre.

Until now, Circulose has been used to create man-made cellulosic fibres, such as viscose. However, with Spinnova’s transformative technology, the partners can turn Circulose into a new, biobased textile fibre without any harmful chemicals in the fibre spinning process. This, the partners say, is a remarkable step towards addressing the industry’s growing textile waste problem, while setting new standards for sustainable textile fibre production. 

Spinnova has already made successful trials spinning the Circulose pulp into new textile fibre and the first batches of Spinnova fibre made with 100% Circulose have been produced for yarn and fabric development. The first prototypes are made from a blend of cotton and Circulose-based Spinnova fibre. 

"The fashion and textile industry needs new solutions and collaboration across its supply chain, which makes this such an exciting partnership for us. Our goal is to accelerate the fashion industry’s transition to a circular economy and explore options to scale textile-to-textile fibre production. Developing our partnership with the skilled Renewcell team has been a great pleasure and the first tests combining Renewcell’s material and Spinnova’s technology have been very promising." says Ben Selby, Spinnova’s Deputy CEO.

"The textile industry is in the middle of a massive change, when moving from a linear business model to a circular economy. Change requires new partnerships and brave, innovative players. Learning more about Spinnova’s technology has been really exciting and we can't wait to launch the first collection made from Circulose using Spinnova’s unique fibre spinning technology," continues Patrik Lundström, CEO at Renewcell.

The companies are currently assessing options to start scaling textile-to-textile fibre production with potential partners and expect to start developing the first consumer collection made from Circulose-based Spinnova fibre.

www.spinnova.com

www.renewcell.com