#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.”

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

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Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

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Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

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Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.