Nanollose and Birla Cellulose's tree-free lyocell made from bacterial cellulose, Nullarbor, has been named the "Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023" by the nova-Institute.
The product is significantly stronger than lyocell made from wood-based pulp, with even small amounts of bacterial cellulose added to wood pulp increasing the fibre toughness. The companies are now focusing on increasing the production scale and amount of bacterial pulp in the fibre.
Renewcell's Circulose made from 100% textile waste came in second place, while Gencrest Bio Products' Vybrana, a sustainable cellulosic fibre upcycled from agrowaste, won third place.
The "Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023" was held in Cologne and featured 42 international speakers from 12 countries, who presented the latest market insights and trends, and demonstrated the innovation potential of cellulose fibres. The conference also highlighted new technologies for recycling cellulose-rich raw materials and practices for circular economy in textiles, packing and hygiene, discussed in seven panel discussions with active audience participation.
