Renewcell

Shredded denim and circulose pulp / Source: Renewcell

CelluloseCirculoseCottonEuropeTextiles

WHAT WE SAY:

With only 1% of all textiles ever being recycled, radical innovation is needed to help reduce the enormous environmental footprint of the fashion industry.

Circulose is the poster child for Renewcell’s pioneering work. So far, it has been used by brands as a marketing exercise, but we hope its enormous fundraising IPO will result in scalable solutions very fast.

Bales of waste clothing awaiting processing / Source: Renewcell

ABOUT RENEWCELL

Renewcell is a Swedish textile recycling company that turns discarded textiles into new fibres. Its primary material is Circulose, a dissolving pulp product made from 100% discarded textile waste.
The company was founded in 2012 by Professor Mikael Lindström, Dr. Christofer Lindgren, Malcolm Norlin and Professor Gunnar Henriksson, innovators at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
In November 2020, Renewcell raised approximately USD 92 million when it listed on the NASDAQ via its IPO. The company had previously raised USD 10 million from investors including, The Mills Fabrica and H&M. H&M was the first retailer to release Circulose-based garments in March 2020. Since then, the company has also partnered with Levi’s to release a range of its iconic 501 jeans made with Circulose fibres.
In 2020 Renewcell was producing 4,500 tons of its Circulose fibre. In early 2022 the company announced it would accelerate its expansion plans to target an annual output of 360,000 tons by 2025, rather than 2030 as originally scheduled.
In March 2022, Renewcell signed a Letter of Intent with Birla Cellulose, one of the world's largest man-made cellulosic fibre producers. Birla Cellulose intends to use up to 30,000 tons of Renewcell’s Circulose as a feedstock for production of its Liva Reviva fibres. The company had previously entered into a similar agreement with Kelheim Fibres in October 2021, with the viscose producer planning to use 10,000 tons of Circulose material annually.
In July 2023, the company introduced the Circulose Supplier Network (CSN), a global network of 47 yarn spinners and textile mills from 12 countries. The invite-only platform aims to "democratise more sustainable textiles and end-products", providing a steady stream of certified Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) Circulose pulp to the fashion industry.
Circulose has committed not to work with chemicals that feature on the TE, GOTS or REACH-prohibited chemical lists throughout its supply chain.
Renewcell was awarded the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Award in April 2022. Further awards and recognitions also include Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award and Time’s list of the 100 best innovations of 2020.