News
Here’s the latest news from and about Renewcell. You can find images in the Gallery section. If you are a journalist and want to reach us, please mail info@renewcell.com.
October 22. 2020
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.
- 全球时尚业正在可持续之路上阔步前进，作为引领者，我们与 Renewcell 开发、利用回收浆，合作并成功量产了一
款创新型粘胶产品-Circulose 纤维。作为全球知名的粘胶生产商之一，三友始终坚持绿色发展理念，做出积极的行动，共同保护全球生态环境。
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.”
About Tangshan Sanyou
Tangshan Sanyou is a manufacturer of viscose staple fiber, modal and bamboo fiber. It is a national R&D base for new cellulose fiber products. Products are sold in over 40 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States and Australia. The annual export volume accounts for more than 40% of China’s total viscose exports. Tangshan Sanyou always adheres to the concept of green development, and sustainable development is always an integral part of our daily production. It has successively passed FSC chain of custody, OEKO - 100 Certification of European Ecological Textile etc. to realize the whole chain and process ecological custody from raw materials to products. Meanwhile as the initiator, Sanyou has joined the "Collaboration for sustainable development of viscose" to promote green and sustainable development together with its members.
唐山三友是粘胶短纤维、莫代尔纤维、竹代尔纤维生产商，国家纤维素纤维新产品研发基地，产品畅销亚、非、欧、美、澳 40 多个国家和地区，年出口量占国内出口总量的 40%以上。唐山三友始终坚持绿色发展理念，可持续发展永远是我们日常生产的组成部分。先后通过 FSC 森林产销监管链、欧洲生态纺织品等绿色认证，实现从原料到产品的全链条、全过程生态监管，同时作为发起者，三友已经加入“再生纤维素纤维行业绿色发展联盟”与其他会员一起推动绿色可持续发展
About Ekman
Ekman is a global sales and marketing organization strategically aligning buyers and sellers of forest products around the world. We have more than 300 employees in 40 offices worldwide and do business in more than 100 countries. With global presence and local excellence, we add value throughout the business process by offering strong financial solutions and efficient logistic, all with the aim of improving sustainability in the supply chain of forest products.
In 2020 Ekman was appointed the exclusive sales and marketing partner of Renewcell Circulose® dissolving cellulose.
About Canopy
Canopy is an international not-for-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting our forests, species and climate. Canopy collaborates with more than 750 companies to develop innovative solutions, to make their fibre supply chains more sustainable, and to help protect our world’s remaining Ancient and Endangered Forests. Canopy’s partners include H&M, Sprint, Target, Amazon, Penguin Random House, Zara, TC Transcontinental, and Scholastic. Canopy’s work relies on the support of individual donors who share our passion for the planet.
www.canopyplanet.org
October 07. 2020
BESTSELLER announces a new collaboration facilitated by its ‘Fashion FWD Lab’. This time with Swedish innovator Renewcell.
The future is here: Today, fashion company BESTSELLER announces a new collaboration facilitated by its ‘Fashion FWD Lab’. This time with Swedish innovator Renewcell, which is pioneering a sustainable and circular recycling method. Three BESTSELLER brands - VERO MODA, OBJECT and SELECTED - are some of the first fashion brands to produce garments at market scale from Circulose® recycled material.
“This is innovation at market scale. It’s an extremely important milestone for BESTSELLER and our Fashion FWD Lab that we now have a sustainable recycling method to produce commercial fashionable garments for our stores. Even more incredible, Circulose® is a low-impact circular material of an excellent quality and it supports our sustainability strategy Fashion FWD 100 percent,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, Sustainable Materials and Innovation Manager in BESTSELLER.
Recycling clothes finally works
Renewcell’s Circular Business Manager Jenny Fredricsdotter agrees that this is an important collaboration as it demonstrates the commercial capability of Circulose® and that recycling clothes finally works.
“We rely on global brands like BESTSELLER to help us close the loop on fashion globally by spreading awareness to their customers and using their influence to shift the supply chain to circularity,” says Jenny and continues:
“At Renewcell, we want to change the whole fashion industry. An ambitious and complex mission but necessary as the environmental impact from fashion is only growing. BESTSELLER has realised this and is now incorporating that insight into their fundamental values. They are taking action with their Fashion FWD strategy with aggressive goals and responsible actions. We are proud to contribute to BESTSELLER’s ambitious work to become a more sustainable brand.”
Exclusive collections ready for Spring 2021
Recently, BESTSELLER launched its new innovation lab ‘Fashion FWD Lab’, which focuses on new low-impact circular materials and production technologies, as well as circular business models. As BESTSELLER’s experimental sustainability hub, Fashion FWD Lab acts – most of all – as a catalyst for collaborations consisting of pilot projects, workshops, case studies and more to accelerate sustainable change.
For this collaboration, BESTSELLER brands VERO MODA, OBJECT and SELECTED have been onboard early in the process to explore and test the capabilities of Circulose®, and they have all approved the fabric’s quality.
“These materials are in exceptionally high demand, which is why we’re very pleased that we were able to secure fibres from the second batch of Circulose® ever produced. And due to the high support and professional effort from our brands included in this process, we have been able to reach an end-product of excellent quality,” Camilla says.
The Circulose® fibres have been spun into yarns and the fabric has just been finished, ready for production. An exclusive and limited edition of styles will be available in handpicked stores worldwide in Spring 2021.
October 2. 2020
Renewcell and SCA sign lease agreement for large-scale textile recycling in Sundsvall
In September, the environmental permit process began and it is now decided that Renewcell chooses to establish their new textile recycling plant at SCA Ortviken’s industrial area in Sundsvall. Renewcell estimates that this establishment will create around one hundred new full-time jobs in a plant that, at full production, will recycle 60,000 tons of textiles a year. This corresponds to about half of Sweden’s annual consumption of textiles.
"We are incredibly proud to soon put the shovel to the ground for our next plant. Increasing our capacity is a must to be able to meet the fashion industry’s great demand for our uniquely recycled material, says Patrik Lundström, the CEO of Renewcell."
Renewcell is currently operating a smaller industrial scale plant in Kristinehamn where the company has since 2016, developed and optimized its world-unique, patented recycling process. The lessons learned from Kristinehamn will now form the basis for a new and larger facility that will operate in a building on Ortviken’s industrial site where SCA currently produces paper.
"Sundsvall and Ortviken are an ideal place for us to establish our new plant. Since our recycling process is based on traditional pulp technology, almost all the infrastructure we need is already in place. The most important thing, however, is that there is a lot of great expertise in the area. I look forward to welcoming hundreds of new colleagues to Renewcell in the coming years, says Patrik Lundström."
Renewcell began the evaluation of Ortviken during this spring and in September, consultations were started prior to the environmental permit application. In October, Ortviken will begin preparations for Renewcell and the first sod for necessary renovations is planned to start after the turn of the year. The first tons of recycled textile pulp under the brand name Circulose® produced at Ortviken are planned to be shipped to customers during the first half of 2022.
"Thanks to our experience from Kristinehamn and considering that so much is already in place, we can keep an ambitious timeline. The financing is ongoing and provided that the permit process runs smoothly, we will soon be able to recycle hundreds of millions of garments in Sundsvall every year. We will then start to make a real difference in an industry with a large and growing environmental and climate impact."
September 10. 2020
Renewcell selected for the Full Circle Textiles Project - A new frontier in chemical recycling
The Fashion for Good initiated "Full Circle Textiles Project: Scaling Innovations in Cellulosic Recycling" – a first-of-its-kind consortium project, launches today. As much as 73% of clothing produced is sent to landfill or is incinerated and of all new clothing made, less than 1% of material used comes from recycled sources. Focusing on cellulosic fibres, this Project aims to validate and eventually scale promising technologies in chemical recycling from a select group of innovators to tackle these issues. Leading global organisations Laudes Foundation, Birla Cellulose, Kering, PVH Corp. and Target join Fashion for Good, to explore the disruptive solutions, with the goal of creating new fibres and garments from used clothing and ultimately drive industry-wide adoption.
The Project’s overall aim is to investigate economically viable and scalable solutions for cellulosic chemical recycling to enable a closed loop system converting textile waste - of cotton and cotton-blend materials, to produce new man-made cellulosic fibres.
Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) such as Viscose/Rayon, Lyocell, Modal and Cupro, are most commonly derived from wood and have the third largest share in global fibre production after polyester and cotton. Man-made cellulosic fibres are of increasing importance; production of MMFCs has doubled in the last 30 years and is forecast for continued growth over the coming years.
"A bold approach is needed to identify and scale innovations that drive sustainable change in the fashion industry. This multi-stakeholder consortium, a first-of-its-kind, addresses the most important barriers to scaling innovation, setting the precedent for all industry players with ambitions for disruptive innovation to follow.” – Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good.
Over an 18-month period, project partners will collaborate with innovators, Evrnu, Infinited Fiber Company, Phoenxt, Renewcell and Tyton BioSciences, to validate the potential of their technologies in this still nascent market. The recycled content produced by four of these innovators will be converted at Birla Cellulose’s state of the art pilot plants to produce high quality cellulosic fibres. From there, fibres will move through the project partners supply chains to be manufactured into garments. Given that Infinited Fiber Company produces industry-ready fibre through their process, their fibre will be delivered directly to the project partner’s supply chains for garment production. The Project will provide an assessment of the innovator’s environmental impact, technologies, recycled output and subsequent garments. These results along with the Project key learnings should determine how best to support and scale these promising solutions.
“The need of the hour is to co-create sustainable solutions for the fashion industry that can be scaled rapidly and economically." – Mr. Dilip Gaur, Business Director, Birla Cellulose, Aditya Birla Group
Textile recycling is a key focus for Fashion for Good as a crucial lever in driving the fashion industry towards closed loop production. A systemic change towards circularity will ultimately reduce the environmental impact of textile waste and potentially eliminate our dependence on virgin materials entirely. Furthermore, producing man-made cellulosic fibres through chemical recycling can help preserve ancient and endangered forests. Scalable solutions in high quality textile recycling technologies are therefore urgently needed.
"Next generation solutions are the path to meeting the climate and biodiversity targets that scientists are calling for by 2030. We’ve seen promising momentum in recent years as we’ve worked with brands, producers and innovators to build strong market demand and Identified a great pipeline of game changing technologies. Now we need investment and broad industry adoption to make these Next Gen Solutions a commercially available reality.” – Nicole Rycroft Founder and Executive Director, Canopy
The unique consortium of brands, fibre producers, manufacturers and innovators is an intentional convening of essential stakeholders in line with key learnings identified in the recently published report by Fashion for Good and Boston Consulting Group “Financing the Transformation in the Fashion Industry”. In order to bring disruptive solutions to scale, the industry needs bespoke consortiums of brands, supply chain partners, innovators, and investors with a shared technology focus to concentrate resources and de-risk investments.
“Chemical recycling faces multiple barriers to scale and industry adoption; a key barrier being risk-tolerant investment for innovations that can enable testing, refinement and scale. We hope that our investment in the Full Circle Textiles Project will enable wider adoption and catalytic investment across the industry to map the course of change together.” - Anita Chester, Head of Materials, Laudes Foundation (formerly C&A Foundation)
The formation of this targeted consortium expands on previous pilot project structures and is the first attempt at such a multi-stakeholder collaboration in the fashion industry, to create a streamlined ecosystem that drives a structured innovation process and ultimately, industry-wide adoption.
MOBILISING AN INDUSTRY
“Financing the Transformation in the Fashion Industry” details further actions required to scale sustainable solutions including a concerted, industry-wide effort to provide the incentives, financial means and focus to accelerate transformation to sustainable and circular practices. Thus, through this Project and its consortium, Fashion for Good hopes to inspire other stakeholders to follow suit in supporting chemical recycling innovators to trial and ultimately secure offtake, catalysing the transformation to a truly circular economy.
To officially kickoff the Project, Fashion for Good hosted an online media briefing and panel discussion with guest panellists, Mr Dilip Gaur, Business Director of the Aditya Birla Group, Samantha Sims, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability & Product Stewardship, PVH Corp., Christine Goulay, Head of Sustainable Innovation, Kering, Nicole Rycroft, Founder & Executive Director, Canopy and Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good. The media briefing outlined the scope of the project, introduced the selected innovators and consortium partners, as well as opening the floor to questions from invited media.
July 20. 2020
Levi's most sustainable jean ever – a collaboration with Renewcell
On July 21st, Levi’s® launches its most sustainable jean ever, a garment made with organic cotton and Circulose®, a breakthrough material made from worn-out jeans. Available as part of the Levi’s® Wellthread™ line in the 502 for men and High Loose for women, this jean represents more than five years of research in circular denim design.
This unique collaboration between Levi’s® Wellthread™, the laboratory to test and validate sustainability ideas through research & development, and re:newcell, the innovators behind Circulose®, marks a significant milestone in the fashion industry’s transition to circularity. It’s like-for-like fiber input means the garment can itself be recycled through an existing chemical recycling processes.
“Bringing fashion full circle, denim-to-denim, together with a brand as iconic as Levi’s® is a dream come true. To make fashion sustainable, it’s important to show people that a material like Circulose® is a real alternative to virgin cotton both in performance and style. I can’t think of a better proof than putting truly circular Levi’s® 502’s into stores worldwide” says Patrik Lundström, CEO of re:newcell.
To make Circulose®, re:newcell repurposes discarded cotton textiles, such as worn-out denim jeans, through a process akin to recycling paper. The incoming waste fabrics are broken down using water. The color is then stripped from these materials using an eco-friendly bleach. After any synthetic fibers are removed from the mix, the slurry-like mixture is dried and the excess water is extracted, leaving behind a sheet of Circulose®. This sheet is then made into viscose fiber which is combined with cotton and woven into a new fabric.
“We want to recycle Levi's jeans in a way that doesn't diminish their quality. By collaborating with re:newcell, our garment-to-garment recycling takes an important step forward,” notes Una Murphy, Levi’s® Senior Designer for Innovation. “Recycling keeps garments out of landfills and minimizes the use of natural resources. We're transforming old jeans into high-quality materials, moving us beyond traditional cotton recycling, which shortens and breaks fibers. By using high-quality fiber, Levi's jeans last longer, and designing for circularity allows our old jeans to become new jeans, again and again.”
Designed in a way that maximizes recyclability so it can be regenerated into a new jean again, each part of the jean – trims, thread, etc. – are carefully calibrated to ensure it meets recycling specifications, allowing it to have a second life when it's worn out. Innovations like this are what will allow Levi’s®, and the fashion industry, to reduce dependency on virgin materials. What’s more, Levi’s® and re:newcell were able to successfully put a pair of the Wellthread™ jeans made with Circulose® and organic cotton, sourced from Turkey, through re:newcell’s recovery system and come away with viable material output for future use, demonstrating that this garment is, in fact, fully recyclable and truly circular.
“This is a sustainability challenge that we’ve been wrestling with for years, so it’s really exciting to see an aspirational concept become a familiar pair of Levi’s jeans that consumers can actually buy and wear,” says Paul Dillinger, Levi’s VP of Global Product Innovation. “The fashion industry has long been chasing the potential of the ‘circular economy.’ The jeans we’ve made in collaboration with re:newcell proves that it can be done.”
In addition, Circulose® is manufactured in a first-of-its-kind recycling facility powered by renewable energy in Kristinehamn, Sweden. This translates to denim that requires less water and energy, leaving us with an overall lighter carbon footprint.
About the Levi’s® brand
The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, Levi’s® jeans have become one of the most recognizable garments of clothing in the world—capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more information about the Levi’s® brand, its products and stores, please visit levi.com.
For questions and more information on the brand, please contact Molly Hayes, Levi’s Global PR, mhayes@levi.com
About re:newcell
Founded by innovators from Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology in 2012, re:newcell is a multi-award-winning circular fashion company based in Sweden. The company’s vision is to lead the way to a sustainable world by producing high quality products from recycled textiles.
Through its patented process, re:newcell can upcycle cellulosic textile waste, such as cotton and viscose, transforming it into a pristine new material called Circulose®. The company has received investment from fashion companies like H&M and is regularly recognised for its work to make fashion sustainable. Most recently, re:newcell won the Norrsken Impact Award recognising Nordic startups working to solve the world’s greatest challenges and was named a finalist in both Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards 2020 and Draper’s Sustainable Fashion Awards 2020.
For more information, visit www.circulo.se and www.renewcell.com. Follow @circulose on Instagram for regular updates on launches.
For questions, please contact Harald Cavalli-Björkman, CMO of re:newcell at harald.cavalli-bjorkman@renewcell.com or telephone +46705903204
May 26. 2020
re:newcell hires CFO and Project Director
Stockholm, May 26, 2020 – re:newcell grows its team by welcoming Maria Vallejo as CFO and Christer Johansson as Project Director to the company. By adding these experienced executives to the team, re:newcell reinforces its commitment to the goal of becoming a top global circular textile and dissolving pulp producer.
Mrs. Vallejo has a broad experience working both as business controller and CFO for fast growing multinational companies and leading transformation projects in a private equity environment. At re:newcell, her background will play a key part enabling the company’s growth.
“re:newcell has managed to build a strong solid base for growth and is now taking the next step. I am excited about joining re:newcell and to contribute to the journey ahead. Together we will make fashion sustainable” – Maria Vallejo
Mr. Johansson has a solid industrial background with more than 20 years of experience within operations focusing on production investments and efficiency improvements at companies like Alvarez & Marsal, Atlas Copco and Alfa Laval. At re:newcell, Mr. Johansson will take the lead on capacity expansion projects globally.
“I am thrilled to join the team at re:newcell! Here I’ll get to dedicate my knowhow around industrial project development to closing the loop on fashion at new recycling plants globally. I am highly motivated on a personal level by the fact that re:newcell’s innovation is crucial to make the fashion industry sustainable and fight climate change” – Christer Johansson.
“I am very proud that re:newcell has been able to attract such experienced and talented people as Maria and Christer. This demonstrates our commitment to growth and also our progress towards becoming a significant player in the market. We warmly welcome Maria and Christer and I look forward to working closely with them both to fulful our mission of making fashion truly sustainable.” – Patrik Lundström CEO re:newcell
For questions, please contact Mira Grunewald, Communications Manager of re:newcell at mira.grunewald@renewcell.com or telephone +46705153660
Apr 28. 2020
re:newcell selected as finalist in Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards
New York, April 28, 2020 — The winners of Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced today, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to flattening the curve when it comes to the climate crisis, social injustice, or economic inequality.
The Swedish fashion innovator re:newcell was selected as a finalist in the Consumer Products category. With its breakthrough recycling process for textiles, re:newcell has demonstrated that recycling clothes at scale finally works. re:newcell closes the loop on fashion by turning worn-out clothes into a pristine biodegradable raw material for fashion called Circulose®. This spring, H&M was the first fashion brand to launch a garment made with re:newcell’s branded Circulose® material in retail.
“I am incredibly proud of the team at re:newcell for smashing through milestone after milestone on our mission to close the loop on fashion worldwide. Fast Company’s recognition highlights that fashion’s impact is a pressing global problem and that our product Circulose® is a World Changing Idea that can make fashion sustainable.” says Patrik Lundström, CEO of re:newcell.
Now in its fourth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 26 winners, more than 200 finalists, and more than 500 honorable mentions—with Health and Wellness, Corporate Social Responsibility, and AI and Data among the most popular categories. A panel of eminent judges selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 3,000 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. The 2020 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Vancouver to Singapore to Tel Aviv.
Illustrating how some of the world’s most inventive entrepreneurs and companies are addressing grave global challenges, Fast Company’s May/June issue celebrates, among others, an electric engine for airplanes that eliminates emissions from flights—and expensive fuel from the tricky financial calculus of the airline industry; a solar-powered refrigerator that finally frees people in remote villages from daily treks to distant markets, transforming the economics of those households; an online marketplace that connects food companies with farms to buy ugly and surplus produce to fight waste; and an initiative to offset all of the carbon costs of shipping, creating a new model for e-commerce sustainability.
“There seems no better time to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, resources, and, in some cases, their scale to tackle society’s biggest problems,” says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have uncovered some of the smartest and most inspiring projects of the year.”
About the World Changing Ideas Awards: World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With a goal of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Companydraws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.
Jan 31. 2020
H&M Conscious Exclusive becomes the first retail collection to feature Circulose®
H&M will become the first brand to retail a garment made from re:newcell’s breakthrough new material, Circulose®. Launching worldwide on March 26th, H&M’s SS20 Conscious Exclusive will feature a jacquard weave day dress made of 50% Circulose recycled from used cotton jeans, and 50% FSC-certified wood. It will be the first time this kind of material becomes available for customers to buy in retail.
“This is a major milestone for fashion. For the first time, people will be able to walk into a store and buy clothes made from Circulose - likely the world’s most sustainable fashion material. We are immensely proud to introduce this innovation together with H&M Group, a company with a bold sustainability agenda,” says Patrik Lundström, CEO of re:newcell.
The day dress, which is an easy blue colour with feminine ruffles, will go on sale for £99.99. It is part of H&M’s SS20 Conscious Exclusive collection and will be available worldwide – sold in around 100 stores globally and online in all markets.
Through its patented process, re:newcell transforms old clothes containing lots of cellulose (such as cotton and viscose) into Circulose - a 100% natural, recyclable and biodegradable material that the fashion industry can make new clothes without compromising on quality.
The process reduces fashion’s reliance on virgin cotton, oil and forests, uses less water, fewer chemicals, and removes 2 kg CO2e from the atmosphere per kg of textile fiber produced, compared to conventional textiles.
Nicole Rycroft, executive director of Canopy, an environmental not-for-profit working with companies to protect the world’s forests and species, adds, “This Circulose launch reflects the leadership that fashion companies can and need to take to avert the climate and biodiversity crises when sourcing wood-based fibers. “In just a few years H&M Group, re:newcell and other investors, who have backed development of this circular textile production, have opened the door to a sustainable future. It’s a good day for our forests and climate.”
Re:newcell’s March launch with H&M is one of a string of collaborations with other global brands set to happen in 2020. The company intends to grow its recycling capacity rapidly, targeting 250 000 tons, equal to one billion garments, per year by 2025.
For more information, visit www.circulo.se and www.renewcell.com. Follow @circulose on Instagram for regular updates on launches.
For questions, please contact Harald Cavalli-Björkman, CMO of re:newcell at harald.cavalli-bjorkman[at]renewcell.com or telephone +46705903204
Nov 7. 2019
re:newcell's RE:NEWTEXTILE project awarded funding from the EU LIFE programme
Re:newcell's business is based on the recycling of cotton into a new textile raw material on an industrial scale. Now, the company has received funding from LIFE, the EU’s funding instrument for environmental and climate action. 18 million SEK will be used to scale up the production with the end goal to launch the first collaboration with global brands during 2020.
The technology behind Re:newcell makes it possible to take old clothes and, through a recycling process, create completely new raw textile materials free of polyester, pesticides and resource wastage. The fibres that are produced by Re:newcell’s product are then woven into fabrics made of the world's first circular material, called Circulose. The material can be adapted to have properties similar to cotton and can also be blended with other fibre types.
In addition to the funding from the EU, the company is supported by H&M, KappAhl and Almi Invest, among others. The new financing will be used to scale up the production at the production plant in Kristinehamn. The 18 million SEK is mainly intended for investments in machinery, infrastructure and test production.
– We have ambitious goals going forward. By 2025, we want to recycle 1 billion garments per year, or 250 000 tonnes of textiles, says Patrik Lundström, CEO of Re:newcell.
The production plant is located Kristinehamn and the historical province of Värmland, in west-central Sweden, and mainly recycles cellulose-based textiles such as cotton. With the goal of producing 7 000 tonnes of Circulose annually, it’s the only production plant in the world that is ready to recycle on a scale that will make completely circular garments available to a global audience. In the spring, the first garments will be available for the public in collaboration with global brands.
Within three years, the plan is to open another one or two factories in order to have sufficient capacity to recycle the what corresponds to half of the Swedes' annual textile consumption – 70 000 tonnes of textiles.
More information on RE:NEWTEXTILE and the LIFE programme can be found at the project website.
Oct 15. 2019
re:newcell signs MoU with RGE for scaling up of circular fiber feedstock
Leading resource-based manufacturing group Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) has announced plans to invest US$200 million over the next 10 years into cellulosic textile fibre research and development. The investment, revealed ahead of the Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference in Vancouver, will support solutions in alternative cellulose or plant-based feedstock and closed-loop manufacturing. The target allocation for the investment is 70:20:10 in three areas, respectively: scaling up proven clean technology in fibre manufacturing, bringing pilot scale production to commercial scale, and R&D in emerging frontier solutions.
As part of RGEs strategic push for alternative feedstocks an MoU was signed with re:newcell for technical cooperation and trials on production of viscose using recycled cotton, with the aim of industrial scale production by 2025. “We are very happy about adding Sateri, a world-leading fibre producer, to our group of validation partners for scaling up circular raw materials for fashion. Cooperation between many actors in the value chain is crucial to achieve significant positive impact in this industry,” said Patrik Lundström, CEO at re:newcell.
For more information, please contact:
Tsu Ern LIM, Omnicom PR Group, tsuern.lim@omnicomprgroup.com
Felicia TANG, Head, Communications and External Affairs, Viscose Business, RGE Pte Ltd, felicia_tang@rgei.com
Sep 19. 2019
re:newcell wins first ever Norrsken Impact Award
Hundreds of startups from all over the Nordics were nominated. Ten finalists were chosen.
Tonight, the three winners of The Norrsken Award 2019 were announced in front of one thousand people at Norrsken Impact Weeks closing gala in Stockholm.
– With 4 000 visitors, including students, startups and investors from all over the world, Norrsken Impact Week has put the spotlight on startups working to solve our greatest challenges, such as poverty, environmental issues, famine or discrimination. The winners of The Norrsken Award have the potential to truly make the world a better place with their business model, says Norrsken founder Niklas Adalberth.
The Norrsken Award is the biggest prize for impact startups in the Nordics. The three winners will receive a million dollar prize: tailor made support from McKinsey & Co, Brunswick Group and Mannheimer Swartling. They will dedicate six months of their time to helping the winners with strategy, communication, marketing, legal advice
and networking.
The winners were selected by a jury consisting of:
Parisa Amiri, journalist
Natalia Brzezinski, CEO Brilliant Minds
Susanna Campbell, investor
Chandra Ghanasambandam, Global Head of McKinsey’s startup practice FUEL
Jorn Lyseggen, Founder & CEO Meltwater
Carl Manneh, Founder & CEO Mojang
Ulrika Modéer, Assistant General Secretary, UNDP
Morten Primdahl, Founder & CTO Zendesk
Leo Razzak, Actor, Founder & CEO Värmeverket
Johan Renck, director
Marianne Vikkula, Former CEO Slush & Head of Growth Wolt
And the winners are:
N2 Applied
www.n2.no
Improving global food production by allowing farmers to produce their own fertilizer from
manure, air and renewable energy thus reducing the use of industrial fertilizer, improving
competitiveness of organic farming and increasing food production in emerging markets
Ignitia
www.ignitia.se
Accurate weather forecasts for farmers in tropical areas, increasing yields 60% on
average and working farmers out of poverty.
re:newcell
www.renewcell.com
Closing the loop on fashion through textile recycling, the world’s first producer of high
quality textile raw materials from post-consumer textile waste at an industrial scale.
For more info about Norrsken, go to norrsken.org or email press[at]norrsken.org
Sep 17. 2019
re:newcell presents CIRCULOSE, a branded natural material made from 100% recycled textiles, at Première Vision
Today, re:newcell revealed the world’s first garments made from Circulose, a new climate friendly material destined to transform the fashion industry and stopping it from being one of the most resource intensive in the world. Based on cutting edge science, a new, innovative process takes old jeans, t-shirts and other worn out cotton clothes and transforms them it into a completely new natural material without quality loss. It’s the first time these types of circular garments are produced on a larger scale. Circulose garments will be available to buy in stores in collaboration with selected brands in the beginning of next year.
The fashion industry generates more greenhouse gases than the aviation and shipping industry combined, according to UNCTAD, the main U.N. body for trade, investment and development issues. This means that the industry needs to find new solutions and adapt to customer demands for sustainability and ethical fashion. While there are several initiatives experimenting with new circular materials, this is the first solution that works on a larger scale. By choosing Circulose garments instead of regular cotton or other materials, people can cut their waste, climate, water, microplastics and deforestation fashion footprint to almost zero. All without compromising quality or style.
– The fashion scene is always changing but the industry itself never really has. It has always been about growing more cotton, pumping more oil or harvesting more trees in order to sell more of the must-have pieces of the season. Meanwhile, less than 1 % of clothes are recycled. It’s crazy. Circulose was created with the ambition to shift the entire industry to circularity and to dramatically lower the impact fashion has on the environment, says Harald Cavalli-Björkman, Head of Brand for Circulose.
Circulose is made from nothing but discarded textiles. Using a breakthrough process powered by 100 % renewable energy, old cotton clothes are broken down to the molecular level and reassembled into a pristine natural material that requires no cotton fields, no oil, and no trees to produce. The garments that will be shown at Première Vision in Paris in September are the first ever to be made from this new material at an industrial scale. During the fall, retail launches with major global brands will be revealed.
– Fashion will kill this planet if it doesn’t change. As a new material, we knew Circulose had to do three things in order to make a real difference in the industry – it needed to be circular, it needed to be affordable, and it needed to deliver the quality that people expect. And here we are! We’re now incredibly excited about our upcoming collaborations with some of the world's leading brands to bring this material to the fashion runways and into the closets where it belongs, Harald Cavalli-Björkman continues.
Visit the Circulose website here
For more information, please contact:
Harald Cavalli-Björkman, Head of Brand
E-mail: harald[at]circulo.se
Telephone: +46705903204
Sep 3. 2019
re:newcell selected as one of ten finalists for Norrsken Impact Award
Today it was announced that re:newcell takes place among the final ten possible winners of the Norrsken Impact Award. The finalists were selected from a pool of over 100 nominees that had been identified by Norrsken and voted on by the public. re:newcell has been selected alongside other innovators for good such as Northvolt and Sana Labs. Which three companies among the ten finalists that are the winners of the award will be announced during Norrsken Impact Week on September 19th.
More information can be found here: Norrsken
Aug 14. 2019
re:newcell named winner of the Encouragement for Action Award by Stockholm Fashion District
Today, the winners of Encouragement for Action were presented at a ceremony at Stockholm Fashion District where the fashion week focusing on business currently is underway. With us were the Swedish fashion industry, Encouragement’s key protectors Nacka Kommun, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, BMW Bilia Group, UN Global Compact Network Sweden, jury groups and collaborative organizations.
“Sweden has a recognized reputation for innovation power and the ability to be at the forefront, especially in the creative industries like the fashion industry. Sustainability in the fashion industry is high on everyone’s agenda and through Encouragement for Action we want to highlight all the positive initiatives that exist and encourage change for a sustainable fashion industry,” says Helena Waker, CEO and chairman for the category Fashion retail talks sustainability, in which stores that use the sales floor and/or their digital platform to encourage consumers to choose sustainable consumption are acknowledged.
re:newcell was awarded the Encouragement for Action Award 2019 for Closing the Loop.
Motivation:
“We know that the fashion industry is facing major challenges and needs to change radically to be part of a sustainable society. Moving from the linear models we have today to circular, where we take advantage of the resources that exist and do not create any waste is an important part of the solution. To succeed, we need companies that are in the forefront and can show that it is possible to do business in new ways by being part of the solution. The winner of this category plays an important role and is an incredibly important player in the value chain in order to succeed in closing the loop of fashion.”
Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell comments;
“We are deeply honoured to receive this award. Not least because we were selected together with a group of extremely inspiring forerunners who have taken the step from word to action. Fashion is basically about driving change and here we have a bunch of companies, individuals and organizations that direct their drive to change the industry for the better. There’s nothing more important to do.”
More information about the award can be found here: Stockholm Fashion District
June 27. 2019
Breakthrough of unprecedented innovation in the viscose sector
China & Sweden: June 27th 2019 - A milestone achievement has been reached for the use of recycled cotton in the viscose industry. Earlier this month, on World Environment Day, Tangshan Sanyou succeeded in producing viscose staple fiber made from 50% post-consumer recycled cotton textiles, supplied by Swedish company Re:newcell. The remaining 50% is made of FSC COC (Forest Stewardship Council chain of custody) wood pulp and audited by CanopyStyle.
This important milestone in the fashion industry’s transition to a circular economy is applauded by the environmental not-for-profit organization Canopy, which works collaboratively with 198 international apparel brands and retailers in search of such new innovative products. Canopy has collaborated with Tangshan Sanyou and Re:newcell for several years on sourcing solutions.
The president of Tangshan Sanyou Chemical Fibre Co.Ltd, Zheng Baishan expresses,” Sanyou Chemical Fiber has been committed to providing sustainable fiber for textile industry chain with innovative technology. This cooperation with Re:newcell is a remarkable breakthrough in textile recycling field. Next, we will continue to provide more non-wood fiber solutions for brands.”
Each year, 20 million tons of cotton textiles and 6.5 million tons of viscose textiles are consumed worldwide and converted into garments, beddings and personal care items such as wipes. The recycling process for cotton and its introduction into viscose fabric on an industrial scale is a new innovative technology and a timely breakthrough for the textile and fashion industries.
“This breakthrough proves that we don’t need to harvest virgin forests, cotton fields or oil wells to make high quality fashion materials at a big scale. Together, Tangshan Sanyou and re:newcell have delivered what the fashion industry needs to make a transition to sustainability – a climate positive, low-impact and truly circular raw material. We will now work together with Tangshan Sanyou to build on this success and bring many thousands of tons of recycled materials to the market.” comments Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell.
Today’s announcement sets a completely new bar for the viscose supply chain in its quest to be more sustainable and meet brands’ preference for fabrics made from post-consumer recycled textiles. It is a remarkable precedent; one that heralds a new era of climate solutions for brands and supply chain partners.
"The introduction of a new viscose fabric made from 50% recycled textiles represents an important leap forward for the global textile and fashion industries,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy's Founder and Executive Director. "We congratulate Sanyou and re:newcell on these exciting results of their collaboration. They are setting a new bar in the development of Next Generation Solutions, one that brands and the broader market place eagerly await.
Ekman have been actively promoting industrial cooperation and innovation between Tangshan Sanyou and Re:newcell in this timely industrial development.
June 25. 2019
re:newcell closes oversubscribed $5 million financing round
Re:newcell, who already counts H&M as one of its minority shareholders, has closed an oversubscribed investment round of $5 million. New investors have joined as owners, including the Swedish fashion brand KappAhl.
”This injection makes it possible for us to increase our pace of production to meet the demand we have from our customers” says Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell. “It also lets us begin preparations for building our second, larger, recycling plant”.
Re:newcell is the world’s first producer of high quality textile raw materials from post-consumer textile waste at an industrial scale. Their existing plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, has the capacity to recycle 7 000 tons of cotton and viscose textiles annually, equivalent to 30 million t-shirts by weight using a patented recycling process developed by researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Earlier this year, Re:newcell hit a big milestone when it made its first commercial delivery of 100% recycled Circulose™ material to Tangshan Sanyou, a leading Chinese viscose manufacturer. Re:newcell is now preparing the retail launch of their breakthrough textile material in collaboration with a selection of well-known global fashion brands.
”We’re very fortunate to get KappAhl as an investor. They’re a company with deep knowledge about the industry’s demands, changing consumer behaviors and a credible agenda for the transition to low-impact fashion” adds Mattias Jonsson
The fashion industry already emits more greenhouse gases than the whole global transport sector. Every year around 90 million tons of textile waste is either sent to landfill or incinerated. Less than 1% of clothes are ever recycled back into clothes. Re:newcell’s technology makes it possible to produce biodegradable high quality fabrics without using precious virgin resources such as oil, forests or cotton as an input. Garments made from their Circulose branded material can also be recycled all over again once they are worn out.
“KappAhl is committed to using only sustainable materials in our products by 2025. To reach this ambitious target, access to materials recycled from worn-out textiles will be key. We look forward to contributing to Re:newcell’s important work and collaborate with them to create great products from high quality recycled materials” comments Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at KappAhl.
"Less than 1 percent of all textiles produced are recycled into new clothes. The rest is sent to landfill or incinerated. For each ton recycled with re:newcell's method, the CO2 impact is reduced by more than 6 tons" says Boris Gyllhamn, Investment Manager at Almi Invest. "re:newcell's unique technology and circular business model has the potential for global impact in an industry that is experiencing strong pressure to find sustainable solutions."
June 3. 2019
re:newcell and Canopy featured in Al Jazeera report on sustainable fashion
Each year, around 150 million trees are cut down to make clothes. A lot of these trees come from ancient and endangered forests, which causes immense damage to irreplacable ecosystems. Our partners at Canopy are working hard to prevent the negative impacts of fashion on forests, while promoting alternative raw material sources such as re:newcell's. A newly published video report by The Al Jazeera TV series earthrise highlights re:newcell's and Canopy's work to avoid deforestation by recycling the materials that have already been harvested.
The piece can be viewed here: Al Jazeera
May 7. 2019
re:newcell reaches important milestone with its first commercial sale
The Swedish chemical textile recycler re:newcell has made its first sale of circular dissolving pulp to an Asian viscose manufacturer. The sale marks an important step in the commercialisation of the company’s breakthrough recycling technology for cotton and cellulosic textile waste.
“As far as we’re aware, this is the first delivery of its kind in the world. A true breakthrough for us and for the fashion industry as a whole” says Mattias Jonsson, CEO at re:newcell.
The 22 ton shipment of its branded Circulose™ dissolving pulp was produced at re:newcell’s plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden using both postconsumer and postindustrial cotton waste without any virgin material added. It will be used to manufacture virgin quality viscose staple fiber for commercial retail fashion applications.
“Fashion brands are catching up to a shift in consumer demand towards sustainable raw materials. That demand pull is now finally cascading back in the value chain to the fiber producers that we’re talking to” Mr. Jonsson adds.
Articles:
Veckans Affärer (Swedish)
For more information please contact harald.cavalli-bjorkman@renewcell.com
March 8. 2019
re:newcell featured on BBC and BBC World Service
The interest in solutions for textile-to-textile recycling is growing, proven not least by a continued media interest in re:newcell and it's breakthrough technology. In the past weeks, we have been featured prominently in several different media reports that can be found on the links below:
BBC - How fashion upcycling got chic (video)
Feb 1. 2019
re:newcell named Circular Initiative of the Year at the annual Recycling Gala
re:newcell has been recognized as the Circular Initiative of the Year by the trade organizations the Swedish Recycling Industries' Assocation, The Swedish Waste Management Association and the trade journal Recycling. At the tenth edition of the annual event gala opened by the Minister for the Climate and Environment and vice Prime Minister Isabella Lövin, re:newcell was honored with an award in competition with a number of groundbreaking inititatives in the circular economy space.
Ola Alterå, the Chief Executive of the Swedish Climate Policy Council, presented the award to re:newcell with the following motivation:
"re:newcell has developed a unique process for chemical recycling of cellulosic based textiles. They have opened the world's first industrial scale recycling plant of its kind in Kristinehamn. Interest is massive from fashion industry players globally, and soon there will be garments made from the recycled materials on the market."
Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell, commented on the prestigious award, highlighting the importance of peer recognition in building an innovative circular economy business.
"We are very honored to receive this award from our peers in the Swedish recycling industry. This kind of recognition is very important for a young but rapidly growing industrial business such as ours. It really helps us get the message out - we've closed the loop, recycling clothes finally works!"
An article with images can be found here (in Swedish): Recycling
Jan 17. 2019
Groundbreaking partnership for large-scale post-consumer textile recycling announced
Beyond Retro, the leading European vintage retailer, and parent company Bank and Vogue, are excited to be closing the loop with a innovative project in partnership with Swedish textile recycling company re:newcell, that will turn post-consumer denim into a new, recycled fibre at industrial scale.
The partnership has developed from a groundbreaking project that sees Beyond Retro offering their experience in the used garments space, together with re:newcell’s technological expertise in textiles to give new life to 90,000 pairs of secondhand jeans. By working together to change the potential for recycled clothing, the two sustainable powerhouses can make recycled fashion within a brand new framework.
Beyond Retro’s parent company, Bank and Vogue is one of the largest traders in used apparel in North America, and operator of the largest commercial re-manufacturing facility in the world in India. They are leaders in the circular economy of textiles with over twenty years of experience in the ReUse space.
Offering a completely unique perspective, honed from their expertise in trading, retailing, remanufacturing and recycling used clothing, Bank and Vogue is the only full circle global solutions provider in the reuse world of the apparel industry.
“The key to the future of sustainable fashion is to maximise the value hierarchy of used apparel. We aim to resell, then repair, and remake, but by partnering with re:newcell, we can forge new ground through fibre technology to recycle.” commented Steven Bethell, Creative Director of Beyond Retro. “In this process, we can work on tackling a larger problem of unwanted, discarded clothing, and we’re thrilled to be a supplier of post consumer textiles that will truly be recycled.”
Fiber-to-fiber recycling has long been the missing link to fully close the loop on fashion. The pioneering re:newcell process dissolves the fabric of the jeans to create a natural pulp that can then be spun into textile fiber and fed back into textile production to produce new high quality garments; creating a full circular economy. re:newcell’s plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, is the first of its kind in the world and has the capacity to recycle 7 000 tons of discarded textiles every year.
“We’re excited to partner with Beyond Retro to recycle worn-out jeans into a pristine raw material for the fashion industry. This collaboration brings together the expertise needed to prove that truly circular fashion, from reuse to recycling, finally works.” said Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell. “The precious material in 90 000 pairs of jeans can now be recovered and made into clothes once again, saving massive amounts of CO2, freshwater and chemicals.”
Dec 10. 2018
re:newcell joins the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action
The global fashion sector today significantly increased momentum to address climate change by launching the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. Under the auspices of UN Climate Change, leading fashion brands, retailers, supplier organizations, and others, including a major shipping company, have agreed to collectively address the climate impact of the fashion sector across its entire value chain.
43 leaders, including adidas, Burberry, Esprit, Guess, Gap Inc. Hugo Boss, H&M Group, Inditex, Kering Group, Levi Strauss & Co., Puma SE, PVH Corp.,Target and re:newcell; leading membership organizations, including Business for Social Responsibility, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, China National Textile and Apparel Council, Outdoor Industry Association and Textile Exchange; global logistics company Maersk; and global NGO WWF International have committed to implementing or supporting the 16 principles and targets that underpin the Fashion Climate Charter.
The Charter, which is open for other companies and organizations to join, recognizes the crucial role that fashion plays on both sides of the climate equation; as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and as a sector with multiple opportunities to reduce emissions while contributing to sustainable development.
Aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Charter contains the vision for the industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and defines issues that will be addressed by signatories, ranging from decarbonization of the production phase, selection of climate friendly and sustainable materials, low-carbon transport, improved consumer dialogue and awareness, working with the financing community and policymakers to catalyze scalable solutions, and exploring circular business models. To make concrete progress on these commitments, six working groups have been established in which signatories will work to define steps for implementation.
The signatories are not waiting for these issues to be fully elaborated and have set an initial target to reduce their aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030 and have defined concrete measures, such as phasing out coal-fired boilers or other sources of coal-fired heat and power generation in their own companies and direct suppliers from 2025.
“The fashion industry is always two steps ahead when it comes to defining world culture, so I am pleased to see it now also leading the way in terms of climate action,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. “I congratulate the signatories of this important charter, which represents a unique commitment and collaboration from an array of fashion leaders. The Charter, like the renowned fashion runways of the world, sets an example that I hope others will follow.”
The Charter is industry-led, and open to a wider group of fashion stakeholders. It is supported by a range of relevant organizations and NGOs that will foster ambition which will be tracked and recognized by UN Climate Change, The Charter aims to drive climate action in the sector, including by complementing and supporting other fashion sector initiatives aimed at increasing climate action.
In early 2018, fashion leaders volunteered to shape a climate movement through discussions in working groups chaired by PUMA SE and H&M Group. The launch today, during the critical UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland (COP24), reflects genuine sectoral buy-in and is a clarion call to the fashion industry globally to sign-up to climate action.
The founding signatories are: adidas, Aquitex, Arcteryx, Burberry Limited, Esprit, Guess, Gap Inc., H&M Group, Hakro Gmbh., Hugo Boss, Inditex, Kering Group, Lenzing AG, Levi Strauss & Co., Mammut Sports Group AG, Mantis World, Maersk, Otto Group, Pidigi S.P.A, PUMA SE, re:newcell, Schoeller Textiles AG, Peak Performance, PVH Corp., Salomon, Skunkfunk, SLN Textil, Stella McCartney, Sympatex Technologies, Target and Tropic Knits Group.
Supporting organizations include: Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), China Textile Information Center (CTIC), Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), Sustainable Fashion Academy (SFA), Textile Exchange, WWF International and ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Foundation).
By signing on to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, CEOs and presidents of these organizations have confirmed their commitment to address climate change and their willingness to step up collaboration within and beyond the fashion sector towards a cleaner, low-carbon future. The fashion industry -- which encompasses textiles, clothing, leather, and footwear industries, from the production of raw materials and manufacturing of garments, accessories and footwear to their distribution and consumption — has long supply chains and energy intensive production.
Principles and actions outlined in the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action will be pursued and developed collectively through working groups which will be convened by the UN Climate Change in early 2019. Any company or organization professionally engaged in the fashion sector, regardless of where they are in their environmental journey, and who are committing to the principles of the Charter by signing it, may participate in this work.
Nov 12. 2018
re:newcell is nominated to Circular Initiative of the Year award
The Swedish recycling industry journal Recycling has nominated re:newcell to the award for Circular Initiative of the Year. The award, which is sponsored by The Swedish Recycling Industries' Association, is given out to a person, organisation or business that has presented a technology, business model or innovation that stimulates circular flows of materials in society. The winner of the award will be presented at the Recycling Gala on January 31st 2019.
More information on the award and other nominees can be found here (in Swedish): Återvinningsgalan
Oct 24. 2018
Textilia invests in re:newcell to support textile recycling
Textilia has worked alongside the fashion industry in the pursuit of more environmentally sustainable textiles for a long time, and the last piece of the puzzle for textile recycling has been hard to find. Until now. Re:newcell is the world's first scalable solution for recycling of high quality textile fibers in the fashion industry, and Textilia has now chosen to invest to become part owner in the company.
"We've had our eyes on re:newcell and their work to create new textile fibers from old textiles for a long time. Our decision to invest in the company is another way for us to assume responsibility on this important issue. As one of Sweden's largest buyers of textile for use in health and care services, we simply have to engage and support in the development of textile fiber recycling" says Fredrik Lagerkvist, CEO at Textilia.
With the investment from Textilia and a number of other large partners, re:newcell will have the opportunity to expand current operations and begin preparations for the next recycling plant.
"We're very happy that Textilia has chosen to join us as a part owner. In addition to making it possible for us to increase capacity at a faster pace, we will also gain knowledge and experience from an industry leader. Circular economy is all about linking the end-user with the raw material provider. That kind of link is exactly what this investment creates" says Mattias Jonsson, CEO at re:newcell.
More information about Textilia can be found here
A press release (in Swedish) can be found here
Aug 27. 2018
WWD features re:newcell in its What to Watch issue
The influential fashion magazine WWD has published an article focusing on the forefront of sustainability innovations in the industry. Re:newcell is featured alongside colleagues such as Candiani, Evrnu and ISKO.
The article can be found here: WWD
Jul 10. 2018
New report from Drapers Magazine highlights re:newcell
Fashion business magazine Drapers has published the report "Solving fashion's sustainability problem". It features an overview of the industry's climate and environmental impact, along with interviews with leading brands around their sustainability efforts. re:newcell is mentioned in the chapter on Recycled materials.
The report can be found here: Drapers
Jul 9. 2018
re:newcell joins 25 partners in the WargoTex Development project
The WargoTex Development project is focused on building new solutions for large scale collection, sorting and recycling of textile waste in Sweden. Led by Wargön Innovation and partly financed by a grant from the Swedish Energy Authority's RE:Source Innovation Program, the project gathers 26 partners throughout the textile value chain.
A press release in Swedish can be found here.
Jun 7. 2018
re:newcell featured in Ny Teknik: "Swedish technology can create a more sustainable fashion industry"
Ny Teknik, Sweden's largest weekly technology magazine, has published an article about re:newcell that includes an interview with our engineer Amy Carlström as well as some pictures from our Kristinehamn plant.
The article can be accessed here (in Swedish): Ny Teknik
May 14. 2018
re:newcell mentioned in the Pulse of The Fashion Industry 2018 report
In connection with Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group presented their co-authored report; Pulse of The Fashion Industry. The report contains a detailed overview on how the industry is moving towards sustainability. It also includes a roadmap to sustainability for fashion brands. Re:newcell is featured in the report as an encouraging move within closed loop innovation.
The report and an executive summary can be downloaded here: Global Fashion Agenda
May 7. 2018
Article about re:newcell in Dagens industri - Sweden's biggest business daily
"[The growth in demand for textiles] has large consequences for water use, emissions, chemical pollution and so on. It's incredibly important that we create circularity for the materials so that we avoid having to produce it anew." says CEO Mattias Jonsson.
The full article and a video interview at our Kristinehamn plant can be found here(in Swedish): Dagens industri
Apr 16. 2018
Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog visits re:newcell
"Sweden should become a world leader in sustainable textiles, and re:newcell is helping us achieve that goal" was the message from the Minister as she visited the re:newcell demonstration plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden. The Minister was given a guided tour of the one-of-a-kind facility designed to produce 7 000 tons of high quality biodegradable re:newcell pulp from textile waste annually.
The Swedish government has made the transition to a circular fashion system a priority. "If the fashion industry is to make the necessary change to sustainable production, we need new solutions. This will require cooperation between businesses, government and the academy" said the Minister.
Articles (in Swedish): Recyclingnet.se and NWT.se
Feb 7. 2018
re:newcell takes part in The Future of Fashion - All eyes on fiber innovation at Berlin Fashion Week
In January, The Swedish Embassy in Berlin in cooperation with hessnatur Stiftung and the Swedish Institute hosted an event that showcased German and Swedish fiber innovators. Alongside industry leaders such as Mistra Future Fashion, Smartfiber AG and RISE, we had opportunity to present re:newcell and the benefits of closed loop textile recycling.
A video summarizing the event can be found on the following link:
Jan 16. 2018
re:newcell joins the UNFCCC Climate Action in Fashion Dialogue
The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat has initiated a dialogue with stakeholders in the fashion industry on how to collectively achieve meaningful climate action. re:newcell joined 38 industry delegates at the UNFCCC secretariat in Bonn over the course of two days of workshops and meetings. The dialogue aims to create a programme of commitments that are aligned with the Paris Agreement. The programme is to be launched at COP 24 in Katowice in December 2018.
Reducing the climate impact of raw materials and moving to a circular model of production and consumption will be key to achieving real climate action. re:newcell will continue to contribute to the dialogue going forward.
Read more about the UNFCCC Fashion Dialogue here:
Nov 28. 2017
Ellen MacArthur Foundation publishes A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future
Ellen MacArthur Foundation released its first report on the fashion industry today. The report is written in collaboration with many stakeholders across the industry, including H&M, Stella McCartney, Nike and Lenzing. It includes new research by McKinsey on the current state of the textiles economy, and describes a vision for a circular future.
We are happy to note that re:newcell is highlighted in the report as a company that is radically improving recycling technology. Our scalable solution upcycles textile waste into new biodegradable fibers with equal or improved properties compared to virgin fibers, helping to make the circular textiles economy a reality.
Read more about the Circular Fibres Initiative and dowload the report here
Oct 25. 2017
New LCA study compares 10 fibre sources
SCS Global has on behalf of Stella McCartney performed a research study on the impact of textile fibers. The study points out that re:newcell’s solution stands out as having the best net effect for global climate change.
Oct 20. 2017
Recent press covering H&M group investment in re:newcell
We’re happy to share that press outlets all over the world have picked up our recent announcement with H&M group to help us spread the word on how to make fashion more sustainable. Read the articles below to learn more about our innovation.
Affärsvärlden
Fashion Network
Fashion Magazine
Fashion United
Fibre2Fashion
HM Sustainability Update
Habit
ISPO
Just style
Modaes
Sourcing Journal
Sport Textiles
The Retail Bulletin
Oct 10. 2017
re:newcell takes another step in making fashion sustainable
As part of making the fashion industry more sustainable, H&M group invests in the Swedish company re:newcell as a minority shareholder. It is an important investment in re:newcell’s technology, an innovation with the potential to benefit the fashion industry as a whole.
"I am proud that H&M group sees the advantages of our innovation," says Mattias Jonsson, CEO of re:newcell. "Together we can contribute to changing the way fashion is produced and recycled."
re:newcell provides a sustainable alternative to producing clothes from virgin materials. re:newcell’s technology upcycles used garments with high cellulosic content – such as cotton, lyocell and viscose – into a new, biodegradable material, re:newcell pulp. It can be turned into textile fiber and fed into the textile production cycle.
"This is the link that has been missing from the production cycle. re:newcell has closed the loop," says Mattias Jonsson. "The way fashion is produced and consumed can hopefully be transformed into a never-ending loop in the future."
At their plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, re:newcell uses both used clothes and residues from textile production, which decreases the amount of textiles ending up in landfills or as insulation. The plant has a closed loop production system for chemicals and water and uses renewable energy. The current production capacity is 7,000 tons of pulp per year and additional units are in the planning stage.
Contact re:newcell: Mattias Jonsson
May 12. 2017
Technology that can dissolve old jeans to give them new life is an environmental progress.
Jan 16. 2017
re:newcell mentioned as #1 Top 10 Sustainability Moments in 2016 by the Sourcing Journal
re:newcell is happy to report that the company was nominated as number 1 on the Top 10 Sustainability Moments in 2016 by the Sourcing Journal. The moment that the Sourcing Journal is referring to is when the company was granted $5M Investment for the First Circular Garment Facility and therefore making entirely circular garments a reality for the fashion industry. Other companies on the list include H&M, CanopyStyle, Textile Exchange and more. Click here
Sep 23. 2016
Fouriertransform and Girincubator invests in Circular textile company re:newcell
Fouriertransform, the Swedish government owned investment company, together with the private investor Girincubator, today announce a SEK 48 million investment in the Swedish innovation company re:newcell. The investment is used to build the world’s first production line for textile pulp from recycled textiles. Thus making 100% Circular garments a reality.
With new consumption patterns and an evolving middle class, especially in Asia, the increasing production of textiles is one of the largest global environmental challenges. With the increasing shortage of cotton on the market, oil-based textiles, such as polyester, are filling the gap of demand. Such oil-based synthetic fibres emit large amounts of greenhouse gases and are not bio-degradable. Therefore, it is important to recycle the existing resources to decrease the textile industry’s environmental impact.
Today, only a small portion of textiles are re-used and an even smaller portion recycled. If 1kg of clothing were to be reused instead of produced from virgin sources, it would save 3,6kg carbon dioxide, 6000 litres of water and 0,3 kg of fertilising chemicals and 0,2kg of insecticides.
Through re:newcell’s patented process, the environmental impact from the textile industry can be drastically reduced by recycling cellulosic based textiles, such as cotton and viscose. This will also reduce transport distances, allow more land for food production and reduce waste.
The SEK 48 million investment from the government-owned Fouriertransform and private owned Girincubator, is now used to build the world’s first production line for textile pulp from recycled textiles in Kristinehamn, Värmland.
”re:newcell is fully in line with Fouriertransform’s strategy to invest in world-class manufacturing industry with high innovation and opportunity for global growth. The technology represents a potentially important future circular solution to responsibly manage the challenge to meet the growing world demand for cotton textiles, which is a limited resource for the fashion and textile industry." says Per Aniansson, Investment Director Fouriertransform.
"The goal with re:newcell is to be part of creating a modern textile industry with resource- efficient processes and materials. It is with great pleasure that we take the next step in its development, with a first production line and a very strong ownership." says Malcolm Norlin, co-founder of re:newcell and Chairman of Girincubator.
The technology originates from research and development by Prof. Mikael Lindström, Prof. Gunnar Henriksson and Dr. Christofer Lindgren, of KTH in Stockholm.
For further information
Per Nordberg, CEO, Fouriertransform AB, +46 8 410 40 601
Per Aniansson, Investment Director, Fouriertransform, +46 708 66 04 29
Henrik Norlin, Girincubator and Director of the Board with re:newcell AB, +46 739 89 88 95
Fouriertransform is a state-funded venture-capital company that, on commercial grounds, supports innovative companies and entrepreneurs that can contribute to vitalising the Swedish manufacturing industry. The company has an investment framework of SEK 3 billion and in addition to providing capital, also provides well-qualified employees and a network of experts. www.fouriertransform.se
Girincubator AB is a family owned investment company focusing on innovative companies with significant global potential within sustainable businesses, typically based on cellulose. The team has a long and successful track record in developing such products, solutions and companies for the world market. Girincubator is based in Stockholm.
re:newcell AB is a Swedish innovation company within sustainable textile recycling. The main focus is recycling of cotton and other cellulose-based materials. The company is now building the world's first production line for textile pulp from recycled textiles in Kristinehamn. Globally, there are about 29 million tons of cellulose-based fibre to recycle globally every year. re:newcell’s ambition is to bring such fibre to the value chain so as to create a circular fashion and textile industry.
Jul 5. 2016
re:newcell on the catwalk during Berlin Fashion Week
This article is written by Moa Nilsson at Smart Textiles.
Textiles back to Textile points the way towards a circularity in textiles at the Berlin Fashion Week.
The project, in which technology, recycling and production are combined, is called ‘Textiles back to textile’ and is an important step on the path towards a circular economy in textiles, from waste recovery to new products. In 2014, the world’s first garment made of recycled cotton was knitted – a unique breakthrough that showed that it is possible to create a cycle of textile fibres using completely new techniques. Now, the next generation of these textiles has been developed – a material mix of recycled cotton and cellulose from Swedish forests, which means that, as Swedes, we are now able to talk about ‘locally grown’ textiles.
The German designer Ina Budde, founder of "Design for circularity“ a sustainable Design Consultancy creating circular products and systems such as the "The Extended Closed Loop Platform", has, with support from Textile back to Textiles, produced the completely recyclable collection “Curated circularity - designed for Infinity” for the German sustainable fashion brand Jan‘n June. As winner of the first Lavera Green Fashion Award, Ina was invited to showcase the collection at the Berlin Fashion Week, The Ethical Fashion Show, on June 28.
The technique for recycling cotton chemically is developed by the company re:newcell at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Greenhouse Labs. With this unique breakthrough, Sweden is given a fantastic opportunity to participate in a new and growing textile market with new companies and sustainable, environmentally friendly services and products. Within Textile back to Textiles, prototypes are being developed that are matching the textile industries demands for environmentally friendly, functional and viable textile materials adapted to our time. This is something that Ina's collection demonstrates.
In Berlin there is plenty of interest in circular economy in fashion. By showcasing the collection at The Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, Ina wanted to show what’s already possible in the textile recycling. She is firmly determined that a chemical recycling of cellulose fiber has a central point for the industry.
“The chemical recycling of cellulosic fibres has a key relevance for a circular textile industry because it brings cotton recycling to the next quality level. It is an honor that I can present this future leading solution to the public and bring it to life by integrating it into my circular collection“, Ina Budde says.
Ina is convinced that the future of design will be circular and that fashion is a key driver for this system change. She creates elaborate products that have meaning, a long and effective life and endless value. For her, it is a matter of course that the designer has a responsibility for the products life cycle already at the design phase.
The collection is more than the look, it is more than the fabrics - the collection stands for a paradigm shift towards a circular future. Sustainability is not restrictive, for me it is rather a driver for innovation to explore recyclable monomaterial design techniques and patterns for multi-functionality”, she explains.
The collection Ina has developed is an addition to other prototypes developed within the project Textiles back to Textile. The project is a collaboration between: Smart Textiles, Wargön Innovation/Innovatum, re:newcell, Svenskt Konstsilke, Lindex, Nudie Jeans, Klättermusen, IL Recycling, Ragn-Sells, Röda Korset, Högskolan Väst, Innventia, Vänersborgs kommun and Akademiska Hus. The project are finansed by VINNOVA and Västra Götalandsregionen.
Read more about Textiles back to Textiles: Click here
Read more about Ina Budde and Design For Circularity: Click here
Credits
Design: Design for Circularity by Ina Budde
Photo: re:newcell
Models: Feana Groeneveld, Stephanie Schubert
Hair & Make up: Sebastian Krenzin
Collection Title: DFC X JNJ 'Curated Circularity - designed for infinity‘
Apr 18. 2016
Sustainable fashion industry becomes a reality in Sweden
re:newcell announces today that it has started the construction of its demonstration plant, where a completely new way of recycling cotton will revolutionize the fashion industry. With the company's newly developed technology, old textiles such as jeans or t-shirts, can be converted into new textile pulp. Such re:newcell pulp is then used to produce new clothes. The factory is located inside the AkzoNobel facility in Kristinehamn, Sweden, and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2017.
re:newcell AB has, in its Stockholm lab, developed a technology that makes it possible to take waste from the textile industry and from it produce new pulp. Such pulp is called dissolving pulp, and is today made from trees (for example, Lenzing, Södra or AdityaBirla). Dissolving pulp is mainly used to manufacture textile fibre materials such as Viscose or Lyocell. Until today it has not been possible to make new high quality textiles from recycled fabric.
The global textile demand is currently some 90 million tons per year. Natural materials (such as cotton and viscose) represent only about one-third. The remaining fibres are mainly oil-based materials such as polyester, elastane and nylon. Being able to increase the amount of natural materials by extending the life of already available resources is a top priority both among consumers and among the big fashion companies. Until now, it has not been possible to recycle cotton into the quality that fashion industry demands, but with re:newcell pulp this becomes possible.
The technology development has been ongoing since 2012 and now the process has matured to such a degree that the company is investing EUR 8 million to build an initial production line. The construction takes place inside the AkzoNobel facility in Kristinehamn, Sweden, some two hours from Stockholm.
The company's chairman Malcolm Norlin says: "We are very pleased to now be able to move forward and contribute to realizing the dream of a sustainable textile industry. Kristinehamn is located in the Paper Province in Värmland and gives us access to great skills when it comes to resource-efficient mass production. We consider it very positive that we can operate from a first-class facility such as AkzoNobel’s in Kristinehamn."
For further questions, please contact Henrik Norlin: henrik@girindus.se
Jan 20. 2016
“Framtidens tyg är svenskt, smart och snällt” by Veckans Affärer
Carl-Axel Fall writes in the renowned Swedish magazine Veckans Affärer that as the global population continues to grow there will be an increased demand on textiles. There is today a necessity in increasing a circular textile production where you recycle textiles and sustainable textiles are produced.
re:newcell is in this article highlighted as one of the forerunners within the field of providing a circular production in Sweden.
Full article, in Swedish: Click here
Nov 19. 2015
“re:newcell is ready to scale its fabric-upcycling process” by Sourcing Journal
re:newcell is once again mentioned in an article in Sourcing Journal. This time the article focuses on the fact that re:newcell is ready to upscale its production and will have need of textile wastes to be recycled.
The article is based on a speech that Henrik Norlin made in New York on the 12th of November at the Cradle to Cradle's Fashio Positive event. Read more about how far re:newcell has come in its steps towards commercialization: Click here
Nov 05. 2015
re:newcell implements an ancient forest friendly sourcing policy
re:newcell is happy to announce that the company has implemented a business policy for protecting ancient and endangered forests. By providing an alternative recycled raw material to the dissolving pulp industry, re:newcell will reduce the demand for wood fiber and thereby help protect intact forests and the animals that live there. The policy has been produced in cooperation with Canopy, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the world’s forests, species and climate.
Read the Policy: Click here
Oct 27. 2015
“Could high tech fabrics transform fashion’s impact on climate change?” by the Huffington Post
Earlier this month, the Huffington Post UK released an interesting article concerning the amount of textiles consumed today, the amount of resources used to produce this amount of textiles and what is being done to decrease the amount of waste. For instance, the author mentioned that the global apparel industry will during the year 2015 produce more than 400 billion square meters of textile, equivalent to covering the UK two times over. She also mentioned that Americans throw away approximately 10.5 million tons of clothing per year.
re:newcell's technology is in this article presented as one of the technologies that could decrease the amount of textile waste that the world produces.
Full article: Click here
Oct 23. 2015
“Are closed loop textiles the future of fashion?” by Sourcing Journal
Lyndsay McGregor has written an article for Sourcing Journal where she highlights the importance of a sustainable fashion industry. She raises issues such as a need for change within the textile supply chain and to close the loop on textiles as textile production requires a large amount of natural resources and the demand for textile is continuously increasing. Several textile industry businesses were interviewed in the article, such as H&M, Worn Again and re:newcell, each giving their point of view on how to make the textile industry more sustainable.
Full article: Click here
Sep 16. 2015
“Fashion chain H&M offers $1m recycling prize for reusable clothing” by The Guardian
The Guardian wrote an interesting article concerning H&M's search of new alternative sustainable fibers. The article also highlights the issue of future fibre shortage as the global population continues to grow. re:newcell is mentioned in the article as a part of the solution of future fibre shortage.
Full article: Click here
Aug 31. 2015
“Rensa, röja och slänga bort” by P1
re:newcell participated on the Swedish radio station P1's program "Stil". The program discussed the nature of consumers' textile behaviour. re:newcell contributed to the discussion by highlighting the importance of designing textiles to be efficiently recycled and the question: Who is responsible for managing textile waste?
Listen to the program, in Swedish: Click here
Aug 21. 2014
re:newcell selected as a LAUNCH Nordic innovators 2014
We are proud to announce that re:newcell has been selected as one of the top 9 LAUNCH Nordic innovators and will receive support from IKEA, Novozymes, Kvadrat, leading scientists, investors and Nordic government representatives on scaling re:newcell business globally.
LAUNCH Nordic, following a public call for innovations, has selected re:newcell as one of the LAUNCH Nordic Innovators 2014. The challenge, which was open from March 14 through June 1st, resulted in 65 applications from more than 20 countries covering five continents. A panel of subject matter experts carefully reviewed all applications, and nine top innovators were selected to participate the LAUNCH Nordic Forum in Malmö, Sweden. “This is a recognition of the potential of re:newcell’s patentened technology and we are thrilled to be picked as one of the most promising innovations around”. Henrik Norlin, Business Developer at re:newcell.
LAUNCH Nordic Council participants include: Håkan Nordkvist, Head of Sustainability Innovation, IKEA, Ed Thomas, GM Sustainable Product, Research & Discovery, NIKE, Anders Byriel, CEO Kvadrat, Eva Gramby, Special Envoy, 3GF/Ministry of Foreign affairs - together with more than 25 other industry representative, entrepreneurs, scientist and investors. They will provide access to capital, credibility and capacity to help the nine innovators scale globally.
LAUNCH Nordic is a global innovation platform by: IKEA, Novozymes, Kvadrat, 3GF, Danish Ministry of the Environment & The Fund for Green Business Development, the City of Copenhagen and Vinnova. LAUNCH Nordic was created in collaboration with LAUNCH, a strategic partnership between NASA, NIKE, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) & The U.S. Department of State.
For more information on LAUNCH Nordic and other innovators: Click here
Jun 26. 2014
re:newcell – First garment produced
re:newcell proudly announces that the first garment of fibers recycled through the re:newcell process has been developed. The garment is a breakthrough for textile recycling and will be shown during the Almedal Week in July 2014.
With this, the company demonstrates that the technology works well and can be used to produce high quality comfortable clothing. The dress, made of recycled blue jeans, has been developed through a collaboration between re:newcell, KTH, Svenskt Konstsilke AB, Textilhögskolan i Borås and Wargön Innovation.
Full article: Click here
Listen to the program, in Swedish: Click here
Sep 06. 2013
re:newcell
Vänersborg municipality and Wargön Innovation renews the letter of intent regarding the establishment at Wargöns trading estate signed on May 31, 2012.
May 31. 2012
re:newcell signs a letter of intent with the municipality of Vänersborg and Wargön Innovation on the establishment of a demonstration facility.
Press release in Swedish:
re:newcell etablerar sig på Wargöns industriområde
re:newcell AB har idag tecknat en avsiktsförklaring med Vänersborgs kommun och Innovatum om att etablera en demonstrationsanläggning på utvecklingsområdet Wargön där det tidigare bland annat har legat ett pappersbruk. Den nya anläggningen skall användas för att verifiera, vidareutveckla samt förevisa re:newcells patenterade teknik för återvinning av textilier. Byggnationen av demonstrationsanläggningen kommer att påbörjas under första kvartalet 2013.
re:newcell är ett nybildat bolag som äger ny teknik som möjliggör tillverkning av återvunnen tråd från begagnade textilier. Tekniken innebär att en bred återvinning av kläder och hemtextil blir möjlig med återföring av fiber till nya kläder. Processen har utvecklats på Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan av Professor Gunnar Henriksson och Professor Mikael Lindström. Bolaget finansieras av Malcolm Norlin via Girincubator AB. I syfte att förfina tekniken inför en demonstrationsanläggning är re:newcell för närvarande baserat på Greenhouse Labs på Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan.
re:newcell har valt att etablera sig på Wargön dels på grund av det goda logistiska läget, dels på grund av kommunens satsning på ett nytt innovationskluster som ger re:newcell en god utvecklingsmiljö.
En större processanläggning som kan ta emot all insamlad textil i Skandinavien kommer att byggas när demonstrationsanläggningen har verifierat alla processteg.
For further questions, please contact Henrik Norlin: henrik@girindus.se
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