Circa & Textile Change to sustainable textile recycling

Norwegian sustainable biochemicals company Circa Group AS, together, the Danish technology firm Textile Change are maximizing textile recycling.

Textile Change has successfully tested Circa’s bio-based solvent Cyrene™ for the separation and decolorization of used textiles into cellulose and polyester. With Cyrene™, Textile Change hopes to create a process that is secure, low-carbon, and energy-efficient while providing a high yield to meet the rising market need for recycled textiles.

Ditte Højland, CEO and founder of Textile Change, said the most effective solvent, with the best dissolution capability and the highest sustainability profile, was Cyrene™. Circa has given them a non-fossil solvent substitute that is safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional ones. This puts Textile Change in a better position to satisfy the demands of their future clients for high-quality textile materials derived from a sustainable manufacturing process.”

The Danish Ministry of Environment is currently commissioning the Textile Change pilot plant in Denmark thanks to funding from MUDP. This advancement is a significant step in scaling their environmentally friendly technique to produce several thousand tonnes annually. It will show that the company has developed a commercially viable method of recovering fiber raw materials from used textile inputs while consuming the least amount of energy and utilizing safer, renewable chemicals.

In contrast to hazardous, petrochemical solvents like DMAc or DMI, which are frequently used for this purpose, Circa has created a safer and more environmentally friendly solvent as part of its mission to change chemistry for the better. Cyrene™ has a carbon footprint up to 80% lower than conventional solvents and is made from sustainable, non-food biomass.

Tony Duncan, CEO and co-founder of Circa Group, said that less than 1% of the world’s textile manufacturing is recycled, and pressure from investors, government policies, consumers, and the supply chain is causing change. This opens up a huge window of opportunity for entrepreneurs using circular manufacturing processes. They are happy to collaborate with Textile Change as their respective companies build their technologies to fulfill the market’s increasing demand for environmentally friendly alternatives.