Texloop RCOT

Rcot Primo yarn cones / Source: Circular Systems

AsiaBreathableCottonEuropeLightweightLow-CarbonNorth AmericaRecycledRegenerativeTexloop RCOTTextiles

WHAT WE SAY:

Rcot is trying to challenge two huge issues: the world produces 40 million tonnes of textile waste each year, while less than 1% of cotton is recycled. And it is actually shipping meaningful volumes of product – currently over 700,000 kilograms.

Despite this, its main drawback is that its Texloop process is focused on pre-consumer waste, meaning it cannot handle the billions of clothes that are worn a few times before being discarded, while there is a limited percentage of recycled content in the finished fabrics. But if you want to use recycled materials in your next collection then it is definitely one to investigate, being far better than the ubiquitous and nonsensical ‘recycled plastic bottles into fabric’ craze.

Texloop RCOT

WHAT IS TEXLOOP RCOT?

Rcot is a blended Cotton yarn, featuring up to 50% GRS-certified recycled cotton with 50% GOTS-certified organic cotton, produced by Circular Systems.
The company uses its patented Texloop mechanical recycling platform to upcycle textile waste into high-quality recycled cotton fibre.
Texloop’s USP is its focus on pre-consumer waste, which enables the cotton fibre to retain a long staple length. When blended with organic cotton, this means the recycled fibres are of near-virgin quality.
As of June 2022, the company has produced over 700,000 kilograms of Rcot recycled cotton, with brands such as H&M, ASOS, Arket and Converse releasing products featuring Rcot.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Breathable
Lightweight
Low-Carbon
Recycled
Regenerative

INDUSTRY:

Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

Circular Systems is an LA-based material science company that works with recycled and regenerative technologies to create fibres for the textile industry.
Circular Systems claims to use minimal external energy or processing – for example, the Texloop platform does not attempt to convert cotton textile waste back to its cellulosic state, but looks to mechanically recycle it as efficiently as possible.
Circular Systems claims that using Rcot, compared with conventional cotton, uses 99% less water and 54% less energy, while producing 20% less emissions (as always, these figures are based on Higg data).
In September 2021, the company partnered with Tintex, a Portugal-based textile company, to release a range of coloured fabrics, which use natural, low-impact dyeing processes.
At the end of 2021, Circular Systems signed a licensing agreement with Pakistan-based Nishat Mills to help scale up the production of its Rcot Primo fibre, although no details were given as to the expected output volumes.
Circular Systems’ other technology includes Agraloop, a closed-loop bio-refinery designed to convert food crop waste into its Biofibre textile.

Rcot can be used to create a circular fashion system / Source: Circular Systems

Arket classic heavy-weight henley tee made from 50% Rcot recycled cotton / Source: Circular Systems

KEY FACTS:

700,000kg

The company has produced over 700,000 kilograms of Rcot recycled cotton.

99%

Rcot uses 99% less water and 54% less energy than conventional cotton.

40 million tn

The world produces 40 million tonnes of textile waste each year, while less than 1% of cotton is recycled.

Key Questions to Ask:

Where are the waste inputs sourced from?

Circular Systems’ use of pre-consumer waste means sourcing direct from textile producers, which improves its speed and ability to scale its recycling ecosystem while avoiding a number of sorting and processing issues. However, given the multitude of ethical issues relating to working conditions, this may create other risk exposures. And it also does not solve the bigger issue of post-consumer textile waste, created by fast fashion.

Are there ‘better’ recycled fibres out there?

Due to the nature of its process, Rcot contains a maximum of 50% recycled content. Compare this to Evrnu’s NuCycl, Renewcell’s Circulose or Infinited Fiber Company’s Infinna, all of which break textile waste down to its cellulosic foundations, which means they can produce circular fibres with 100% recycled content.

How will you minimise your impact right through to the finished product?

The partnership with Tintex on its naturally dyed fabrics highlights a bigger issue – there is little point in choosing a ‘sustainable’ raw material, if that material is then finished with other unsustainable products. This does not just refer to dyes either, think about blended fabrics – which cannot be recycled or synthetic elements that impact a garment’s biodegradability at its end-of-life. Indeed, as a designer, you should also consider the wider system within, which your product will be consumed. Not just – can it be recycled – but will it be?

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Agraloop BioFibre

MATERIAL

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Lenzing EcoVero

MATERIAL

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CirCot

MATERIAL

A 100% closed-loop recycled cotton made without water, dyes or chemicals.

NuCycl

MATERIAL

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Texloop RCOT

WHAT WE SAY:

Rcot is trying to challenge two huge issues: the world produces 40 million tonnes of textile waste each year, while less than 1% of cotton is recycled. And it is actually shipping meaningful volumes of product – currently over 700,000 kilograms.

WHAT IS TEXLOOP RCOT?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

Circular Systems is an LA-based material science company that works with recycled and regenerative technologies to create fibres for the textile industry.

Circular Systems claims to use minimal external energy or processing – for example, the Texloop platform does not attempt to convert cotton textile waste back to its cellulosic state, but looks to mechanically recycle it as efficiently as possible.

Circular Systems claims that using Rcot, compared with conventional cotton, uses 99% less water and 54% less energy, while producing 20% less emissions (as always, these figures are based on Higg data).

In September 2021, the company partnered with Tintex, a Portugal-based textile company, to release a range of coloured fabrics, which use natural, low-impact dyeing processes.

At the end of 2021, Circular Systems signed a licensing agreement with Pakistan-based Nishat Mills to help scale up the production of its Rcot Primo fibre, although no details were given as to the expected output volumes.

Circular Systems’ other technology includes Agraloop, a closed-loop bio-refinery designed to convert food crop waste into its Biofibre textile.

KEY FACTS:

700,000kg

99%

40 million tn

Key Questions to Ask:

Where are the waste inputs sourced from?

Are there ‘better’ recycled fibres out there?

How will you minimise your impact right through to the finished product?

MEET THE MAKERS:

Circular Systems

KEY PRODUCTS

LOCATION
North America

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Texloop RCOT

WHAT WE SAY:

Rcot is trying to challenge two huge issues: the world produces 40 million tonnes of textile waste each year, while less than 1% of cotton is recycled. And it is actually shipping meaningful volumes of product – currently over 700,000 kilograms.

WHAT IS TEXLOOP RCOT?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

Circular Systems is an LA-based material science company that works with recycled and regenerative technologies to create fibres for the textile industry.

Circular Systems claims to use minimal external energy or processing – for example, the Texloop platform does not attempt to convert cotton textile waste back to its cellulosic state, but looks to mechanically recycle it as efficiently as possible.

Circular Systems claims that using Rcot, compared with conventional cotton, uses 99% less water and 54% less energy, while producing 20% less emissions (as always, these figures are based on Higg data).

In September 2021, the company partnered with Tintex, a Portugal-based textile company, to release a range of coloured fabrics, which use natural, low-impact dyeing processes.

At the end of 2021, Circular Systems signed a licensing agreement with Pakistan-based Nishat Mills to help scale up the production of its Rcot Primo fibre, although no details were given as to the expected output volumes.

Circular Systems’ other technology includes Agraloop, a closed-loop bio-refinery designed to convert food crop waste into its Biofibre textile.

KEY FACTS:

700,000kg

99%

40 million tn

Key Questions to Ask:

Where are the waste inputs sourced from?

Are there ‘better’ recycled fibres out there?

How will you minimise your impact right through to the finished product?

MEET THE MAKERS:

Circular Systems

KEY PRODUCTS

LOCATION North America

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

LOCATION
North America