#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-10-21

Birla Cellulose targets to scale Liva Reviva fibres to 100,000 tons by 2024

Birla Cellulose, umbrella brand of Grasim Industries Limited, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, recognizes the pivotal role that it can play in sustainable forest management and in promoting circular economy using a collaborative approach. Birla Cellulose plans to aggressively scale up the production of circular fibre Liva Reviva to a level of 100,000 tons per year by 2024. One of our key strategic partners in this journey is environmental not-for-profit Canopy and their CanopyStyle initiative, now supported by over 450 brands and retailers.

Circular business scale up amongst the most ambitious partnership initiatives in the MMCF industry

Liva Reviva, a circular viscose fibre made using pre-consumer cotton waste and closed loop technologies comes with outstanding sustainability credentials such as significantly lower greenhouse gas and water footprint compared to generic viscose. It contains a unique molecular tracer backed by blockchain based traceability and is Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certified. Under this initiative, the recycled content in Liva Reviva will be increased up to 30% in 2022 from 20% currently and post-consumer material will be gradually increased in the feedstock as we increase the volumes.

It is estimated that more than 90 million tons waste is generated from fashion industry every year and less than 1% is recycled, remaining going to landfill / incineration or leaking into the environment. Key barriers to the circular business model include limitations in recycling technologies, lack of infrastructure for waste collection and segregation, garments not being designed for recycling and lack of investments in each of these areas.

Birla Cellulose has invested significantly in development of the recycling technology and infrastructure and would continue to further invest in development of pre- and post-consumer textile waste recycling technologies, building the capacities for next generation fibres and developing reliable reverse logistics for collection and segregation.

“Today, the world is looking for innovative solutions for mounting problem of fashion industry waste. Birla Cellulose is proud to be pivoting the collaborative effort for scaling up the circular business model, this will not only upscale the waste but also help reduce pressure on forests for virgin wood-based pulp and help fight climate change.” said H K Agrawal, Designate Business Director, Birla Cellulose. “This initiative is aligned to our vision to be a global leader in sustainable business practices in the Man-Made Cellulosic Fibre industry”.

“Canopy applauds Birla’s industry-leading target of 100,000 tonnes of Next Generation production by 2024. Spurring circular innovation is critical to reducing waste and acting on the growing climate crisis,” said Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy. “Our planet needs companies to move faster than they may feel comfortable. By 2030, we need all viscose producers to be sourcing at least

50% of their supply chain from circular, non-forest inputs to meet the ecological challenges of our times. Accomplishing 100,000 tonnes by 2024 is an important step in that journey.”

Birla Cellulose strongly believes that collaboration can unlock greater value for all the stakeholders where every partner plays an important role. Birla Cellulose envisions an active partnership between global brands and retail partners, value chain partners and orchestrators like Canopy and Fashion For Good in this aggressive plan to scale up the circular business model. Birla Cellulose will also create awareness about environmental benefits of next generation fibres by working closely with all stakeholders with an aim to accelerate the circular business model.

“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”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

Albany International reports progress with Cyclezyme on industrial textile recycling project

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) reports continued progress in the ongoing project with Cyclezyme AB, a leader in advanced enzyme-based plastic recycling, based in Sweden. The project exemplifies leading edge innovation in materials science, focusing on the development of enzyme-based recycling of industrial textiles primarily consisting of polyester and polyamide, where there is currently a significant lack of effective solutions for circular material flows. The objective of the project is to establish enzymatic processes for depolymerization and recycling of technical textiles and high-performance industrial materials.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.