Textile Fiber from ‘Textile Waste’

Finnish sustainable textile material company Spinnova and Swedish textile recycling innovator Renewcell have partnered to commercialize and expand textile waste-derived fiber without using harmful chemicals. 

This collaboration is the first of its kind, and the debut consumer products made from this new textile fiber are expected to be available by the end of 2024.

Renewcell specializes in recycling cellulosic-rich textile waste, such as cotton and viscose, into a pulp product called Circulose. This biodegradable pulp is made entirely from 100% recycled textiles and can be used to produce new fibers. Up to now, Circulose has been used primarily to create synthetic cellulosic fibers like viscose. 

However, thanks to Spinnova's transformative technology, the partners can now turn Circulose into a new, biobased textile fiber without using any harmful chemicals in the fiber spinning process.

Spinnova has already successfully spun Circulose pulp into new textile fiber, and the first batches of Spinnova fiber made entirely from Circulose have been produced for yarn and fabric innovation. These prototypes include a blend of cotton and Spinnova fiber derived from Circulose.

Company goal is to accelerate the fashion industry's transition to a circular economy and explore options to scale textile-to-textile fiber production. 

The companies are currently evaluating options to initiate the scaling of textile-to-textile fiber production in collaboration with potential partners. They anticipate commencing the development of the inaugural consumer collection crafted from Circulose-based Spinnova fiber in the near future.

This collaboration between Spinnova and Renewcell is a major step forward in the development of sustainable textile fibers. It has the potential to revolutionize the fashion and textile industries by reducing textile waste and creating a more circular economy.