Spinnova

Spinnova fibres / Source: Spinnova

CelluloseEuropeLow-CarbonRecyclableSpinnovaTextiles

WHAT WE SAY:

Spinnova sounds almost too good to be true. It is chemical-free, with disruptively low carbon and water footprints, all-natural, and fully biodegradable.

Even better – its production processes means it can be produced from any cellulosic-based sources, including post-consumer textile waste. As if that was not enough, recycled feedstocks produce virgin quality fibres. Currently on the cusp of mass commercialisation, we are excited to see how Spinnova can contribute to a new circular fashion ecosystem.

Spinnova

WHAT IS SPINNOVA?

Spinnova’s self-named Spinnova fibre is a Cellulose-based fibre, primarily created from FSC-certified wood pulp.
The fibre is produced through mechanical methods that avoid the usage of chemicals, a trait Spinnova claims to be unique to them. The production process also uses recycled water, while their production plant is designed to save more CO2 than it emits.
At the end of its life the natural fibre is fully biodegradable and, as no chemicals were used in its making, the company claims it leaves no harmful residues behind.
Alternatively, the fibre can be upcycled multiple times with no loss in quality, due to the chemical-free nature of the production process.
The natural state of the fibre is a white, continuous filament, which is ready for spinning into yarn and knitting or weaving into fabric. The fibre can be used for apparel, footwear, home textiles and nonwovens.
Spinnova has launched limited edition collaborations with a number of fashion and outdoor brands, including Bergens, H&M, The North Face and adidas.
In May 2023, Spinnova announced the official opening of its first commercial-scale facility, in partnership with the world’s largest eucalyptus pulp producer, Suzano. The plant is projected to produce 1,000 tonnes of the fibre every year.
The facility is said to operate with zero emissions, only generating excess heat, which is recycled into the local district’s heating system. The plant’s operator, Woodspin, also announced that a second site is in the works in order to reach an annual production capacity of one million tonnes of Spinnova fibre by 2033.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Low-Carbon
Recyclable

INDUSTRY:

Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

Spinnova seeks to mitigate the influx of microplastics polluting the ecosphere by offering an alternative fibre to polyester based synthetics. According to Textile Exchange’s 2020 Preferred Fiber Report, the annual amount of microfibres released from textiles is 500,000 metric tons. Between 2015 and 2055, it is estimated that 22 million metric tons of synthetic fibre fragments could be added to the ocean if conventional fibre production methods remain unaltered.
In order to create the cellulosic Spinnova fibre they use mechanical processes which, unlike other cellulosic fibre, avoids the use of harmful chemicals. These mechanical methods are modelled on how a spider spins its web, the original inspiration for Spinnova's process in turning wood pulp into a spun textile fibre.
The Spinnova yarn is produced by turning the raw wood pulp into a paste-like material, which is then spun with a wet spinning method that uses specialised nozzles, which align and twist the fibres to create strength and mechanical stretch.
Spinnova’s sustainability claims are eye-catching: the carbon footprint of the fibre is 72% lower that conventional cotton and it requires 99.5% less water, thanks to a closed-loop process that recaptures evaporated water and recycles it back into the process.
The process has been pioneered using wood pulp, but the company states this can be substituted with any kind of cellulose-based feedstock, from food waste to post-consumer cotton or even Spinnova-based fabrics.
Spinnova offers the opportunity to dye the fibre before the spinning phase, known as dope-dyeing; this cuts out the need for the water and chemicals used intensively in traditional dyeing methods.

Machinery in Spinnova’s pilot factory / Source: Spinnova

The new Spinnova manufacturing hub / Source: Spinnova

KEY FACTS:

500,000 MT

Of microfibres are released from textiles every year.

72%

Spinnova’s carbon footprint is 72% lower than conventional cotton and requires 99.5% less water.

Key Questions to Ask:

Can you actually get access to it?

While we are excited by Spinnova’s potential, it is still a new fibre with limited production volumes meaning that it is currently only available to selected partners for relatively small-scale collaborations.

What would using Spinnova do to your emission profile?

Spinnova is currently produced only in Finland. Distributed production sites would enable global manufacturers to lower their emissions even further.

Which feedstocks will you use?

The company’s claims around the potential to use post-consumer textile waste as an input are especially intriguing, given its potential to unlock a truly circular fashion system.