As per Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the global apparel industry loses $500 billion every year as over 100 million tons of clothing is thrown into landfills. Lack of recycling initiatives has made circularity elusive in the industry with brands focusing on a few isolated initiatives. To halt climate change and restore biodiversity, the industry needs global-scale solutions, says a Forbes report. As per this report, the industry needs scaled circular solutions to control increasing waste generation and carbon emissions. It also needs active participation from various industry stakeholders to thrive in the fiercely competitive market.

Providing the required scale for recycling

To deliver affordable textile recycling solutions, Finnish biotechnology group Infinited Fiber Company has introduced a €6M European Union research and innovation fund which encourages 12 consortium members, spanning Finland, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Turkey, to launch the New Cotton Project to reduce fashion waste and environmental impact. To be developed in collaboration with industry giants like Adidas and H&M, the project will provide the required scale and volume to test recycling technology, says, Petri Alava, CEO, Infinited Fiber.

Spanning three years, the project will provide 3 ton cellulose carbamate fibers to Inovafil, Tekstina and Kipas, partners of H&M and Adidas who operate within the brands’ supply chains. The fibers will spun, dyed, knit and weaved into yarns and fabrics of the brands’ commercial fashion products.

Analyzing new business models

For this project, global consortium collaborators aim to collect and analyze new workflows and processes. For instance, Holland-based Frankenhuis plans to pre-process textile waste, while the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) plans to launch new solutions for processing waste fibers. For consumers and retailers, RISE (the research institute of Sweden) plans to analyze the sustainability and techno-economic feasibility of the project besides managing its eco-labeling. Finland-based Aalto University also plans to analyze the project’s resulting ecosystem and circular business models on a more macro level

Its magnitude and complexity make EU funding for this project extremely essential. However Katheleen Rademan, Facilitating Stakeholder and Petri Alava, CEO, Infinited Fiber, are confident that the project will achieve commercial viability as there is growing consciousness amongst brands about environment protection. The newly established Fashion Pact further stimulates these brands’ sustainability drive.

Determining the planet’s future health

KirsiNiimimaki, Professor, Aalto University believes, the project will educate the industry on the environmental impact that fashion has on developing countries. Though launched in Europe, project targets apparel producers in China and Bangladesh. Hence, it will pave the way for an immediately implementable global blueprint solution.

The project will take into account the entire value chain, from raw materials through to fiber, yarn and garment production, as well as end-of-life. For this project Infinited Fiber is negotiating with two Chinese companies to license their recycling technology. The company is also exploring other business models that could see it become a large-scale supplier.

Besides determining Infinited’s future business model, the outcome of this three year project will also determine the future health of our planet.