#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-10-22

Renewcell and Tangshan Sanyou sign landmark deal to produce Circulose® textile-to-textile recycled fibers.

In what is an industry first, Swedish fashion recycling innovator Renewcell has reached an agreement with the leading Chinese viscose manufacturer Tangshan Sanyou to supply 175 000 tonnes of Circulose® dissolving pulp recycled 100% from discarded textiles. The five year deal, facilitated by Ekman, a leading global trading house for cellulose products, is a significant milestone in the scaling of circular and biodegradable materials for the fashion industry.

- “We have had this goal in mind for a long time, and it feels unreal that we are there. I am truly impressed by the industry leadership shown by Tangshan Sanyou and immensely proud of the Renewcell team for getting us to this point. Together, Renewcell, Tangshan Sanyou and Ekman are firmly committed to delivering on our promise to make fashion sustainable at scale” comments Patrik Lundström, CEO of Renewcell.

Renewcell and Tangshan Sanyou have worked together closely since 2019 to develop ground-breaking high quality viscose staple fibers made from Circulose® dissolving pulp recycled from post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste. These efforts resulted in fibers that have been launched in retail by global fashion brands such as H&M and Levi’s in 2020, proving the commercial potential of circular material to replace virgin fibers in a wide range of fashion applications.

- “The global fashion industry is striding forward on the road to sustainability. Leading the charge, we have developed and used recycled pulp from Renewcell, cooperated and successfully scaled up an innovative viscose product called Circulose® fiber. As one of the world's well-established viscose manufacturers, Sanyou strictly adheres to the concept of green development and takes active actions to jointly protect the global ecological environment” confirms Zheng Baishan, Chairman of Tangshan Sanyou Group Xingda Chemical Co. Ltd.

The global fashion industry is on the road to sustainability, and as a leader, we have developed, utilized, and successfully mass-produced a new product with Renewcell, a recycled pulp.

- As one of the world's leading manufacturers of adhesives, Sanyou is committed to the green development of the world's eco-friendly products. As one of the world's leading viscose manufacturers, Sanyou has always adhered to the concept of green development and taken positive actions to protect the global ecological environment.

The deal between Renewcell and Tangshan Sanyou was facilitated with the help of Ekman, a leading global trading house for cellulose products. Renewcell and Ekman have worked in close partnership to bring Circulose® to market.

- “Circulose®, the 100% recycled dissolving cellulose is an innovative product with great demand from the global textile industry. We are proud to be a partner in introducing and marketing this ground breaking new sustainable product and working together with our long term partners Sanyou and Renewcell” affirms Benny Johansson, Senior VP, Pulp Sales Ekman AG

Renewcell will deliver its recycled Circulose® dissolving pulp from its future plant in Sundsvall in Sweden. The agreement with Tangshan Sanyou is a key element to securing the financing for the new plant which is set to start production in the first half of 2022. Once operational, the new plant will be capable of recycling the equivalent of 300 million t-shirts, helping to close the loop on fashion and reducing fashion’s reliance on virgin materials like cotton and oil.

The announcement is celebrated by Canopy, a Canadian NGO with the mission to protect ancient and endangered forests globally. Through their CanopyStyle campaign, CanopyStyle Audits, and annual Hot Button Ranking, Canopy supports the adoption and scaling of Next Generation fibers throughout the fashion value chain.

- ”This exciting agreement will help bring vital Next Generation Solutions to life and save forests in the process," asserted Nicole Rycroft, Canopy Executive Director. "Today's announcement will ensure commercial volumes of Next Generation viscose will be available to a growing market ready for change. Hundreds of fashion brands want to stop the degradation of forests from textile production and we expect long line-ups for this product.”

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

Modtissimo is proving more and more to be a textile and clothing show that delivers the latest innovations in the area of sustainability, with the iTechStyle Green Circle being the main showcase for companies' creations. In this 60+4 edition, taking place on 12 and 13 September, 28 coordinates will be exhibited in a section organised by CITEVE and curated by Paulo Gomes.

The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt

At the EU-Egypt Investment Conference, co-organised by the EU and the Government of Egypt on 29-30 June, the EU and Egypt are teaming up to intensify private sector investments in Egypt. They are also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the disbursement to Egypt of up to €1 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance.

Recover™ launches Recover™ Fabrics to accelerate recycled cotton adoption

Recover™, a leading materials science company and one of the world’s largest producers of recycled cotton fiber, today announced the launch of Recover™ Fabrics, a new product line designed to make premium, low-impact fabrics readily accessible to brands of all sizes, from global retailers to emerging labels.

Innovation and customer proximity – KARL MAYER’s clear focus makes an impression

ITMA ASIA in Singapore was a resounding success for KARL MAYER, exceeding all expectations. The company welcomed visitors from 39 countries and held around 570 expert discussions. Most guests came from India, followed by China, Indonesia and Pakistan. The exchange with them was both well-founded and targeted. Conversation topics ranged from investment projects and new technologies to opportunities for cooperation and business expansion.

Catching heart disease early with AI-based sensor system

It slips on like a normal vest: Fraunhofer IZM has created a smart sensor system in cooperation with the Charité and the Technical University of Berlin. The vest records a vast array of cardiovascular parameters, which an AI-based system uses to support medical diagnostics and spot potentially dangerous developments.

ICAC to collaborate with Uzbekistan and Bizpando on regenerative agriculture

The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.