Infinited Fiber Company has announced its collaboration with six of the world’s leading fashion and textile brands. The Finnish biotech’s technology can turn discarded textiles into high-quality, bio-based regenerated fibres, over and over again, retaining the quality of the original fibres, it claims. The brands view the technology as a viable, circular alternative to virgin cotton that takes them a step closer to responding to the mounting consumer demand for sustainable clothing and textiles, according to Infinited.

The fashion brands endorsing Infinited Fiber Company’s technology are H&M Group, BESTSELLER, PVH Corp., Wrangler, and Patagonia. Suominen, a globally leading supplier of nonwovens for wipes, is also endorsing the technology.

“Infinited Fiber is just what we are looking for as their innovation aligns with BESTSELLER’s ambition of becoming circular by design. The feedstock is waste, and the technology does not use high amounts of water or harmful chemicals. The fibre is commercial quality and can be used to create the styles that our customers love. The clothes we make using Infinited Fiber can even be recycled again. All of this is making their technology the ultimate solution to our strategy of becoming circular by design,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, sustainable materials and innovation manager at BESTSELLER.

Patagonia’s Materials Development Director Sarah Hayes adds: “Infinited Fiber shows the industry that apparel waste has high value and is something to be utilized. This waste is not only being upcycled but is being used to make a new premium fibre that can help push the industry toward circularity.”

Each of the brands has worked with Infinited Fiber Company for a length of time, some already for several years. They have also conducted in-house quality testing on various types of textiles created from Infinited Fiber Company’s regenerated fibre, including single jersey, French terry, denim, shirting fabric, and nonwoven fabric. Each has found the fibres and textiles they have tested to meet their brand’s stringent material quality requirements and views the fibres as ready for commercial applications.

“Developing sustainable solutions for the apparel industry requires collaboration,” said Roian Atwood, senior director, Global Sustainable Business, Wrangler. “We’re proud to work with Infinited Fiber Company and others across the industry to help shepherd this innovation into commercial use. At Wrangler, we are committed to evolving our supply chain to support a circular economy, and our work with Infinited Fiber Company is one step forward in that effort.”

Representing the nonwovens industry, Suominen’s Product Development Manager Miika Nikinmaa said: “Suominen has been working closely with Infinited Fiber Company and it has been thrilling to see the fiber develop from an idea into a commercially viable product. Suominen sees great benefits in working with Infinited Fiber Company for circular product design and a less wasteful future for the essential single-use items.”

Infinited Fiber Company’s patented technology enables any cellulose-rich material, including textile waste, used cardboard, straw, or wood, to be reborn as soft and natural textile fibres with unique characteristics, including extremely high dye uptake. The finished fibres are biodegradable as impurities, like plastic residues from polyester or elastane, are removed in the process. The fibres can also be re-recycled using the same technology without loss of quality. The fibres can be used on their own for 100% waste-based, circular textiles, or blended with other fibres in yarn manufacturing.

“Having invested in and worked closely with Infinited Fiber Company over a number of years, we are incredibly excited about their continued development and what this will mean for both H&M Group, and the wider industry in terms of our collective drive towards a more sustainable future. To see other brands collaborating with Infinited Fiber Company speaks not only to the quality of product but also to its exciting commercial possibilities,” said Erik Karlsson, investment manager at H&M Group’s investment arm CO:LAB.  Karlsson is also a member of Infinited Fiber Company’s Board of Directors.

Infinited Fiber Company is enthusiastic about the potential for circularity in textiles going forward.

“It is exciting to see the leading brands in the fashion and nonwoven textile industries validate and endorse our regenerated fibre. Our technology is ready to be scaled, and through close collaboration with these visionary brands we really can make circularity a reality – not in some far-off distant future, but very, very soon,” said Infinited Fiber Company Cofounder and CEO Petri Alava.

Infinited Fiber Company website