Lenzing and Renewcell signs multi-year supply deal

Swedish textile-to-textile recycling pioneer, Renewcell, has signed a deal to provide Austrian fiber manufacturer, The Lenzing Group, to accelerate the transition of the textile industry from a linear to a circular business model.

The deal calls for the sale to Lenzing, over a five-year period, of 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of Renewcell’s 100% recycled Circulose® dissolving pulp for use in the manufacture of cellulosic fibers for clothing and other textile applications.

Christian Skilich, chief pulp officer of the Lenzing Group, said that the textile sector needs to evolve. Lenzing is able to more fully integrate recycling and hasten the transformation of the textile industry from linear to circular by signing the agreement with the Swedish textile-to-textile recycling business Renewcell. As proponents of sustainability, they are aware of how critical it is to move toward a circular economy to overcome the industry’s significant difficulties related to textile waste.

Patrik Lundström, CEO of Renewcell, said that Lenzing is a significant player in their sector, with a track record of driving technical innovation, leadership in sustainability, and unparalleled quality. Their new alliance is a natural fit for Renewcell’s plan to work with the biggest names in fashion to hasten the scale-up of circular materials. They are more than happy to join forces with Lenzing with the shared goal of making fashion circular.

The collaboration between Lenzing and Renewcell is welcomed by Canopy, a non-profit environmental organization devoted to preserving forests, biodiversity, and the environment.

Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Canopy, said that for the fashion business, accelerating the shift to low-impact, circular production is the challenge of the decade. Because it will rapidly bring low-carbon Next Gen solutions to market, the relationship between Renewcell and Lenzing is so welcome. They need all companies to succeed in the drive to circularity because the clocks on the climate and biodiversity are ticking.

Lenzing provides options for shifting the textile and nonwovens sectors into a circular economy with its REFIBRA™ and Eco Cycle technologies. Being a true advocate of circularity and providing speciality textile fibers with up to 50% post-consumer recycled content on a commercial scale by 2025 are crucial components of Lenzing’s corporate strategy and ambitious sustainability goals. Lenzing collaborates with recycling industry leaders like Renewcell to achieve this goal.

Circulose is made entirely of textile waste, such as production leftovers and worn-out jeans, and it eventually decomposes into pulp. It turns factory scrap and textile waste into brand-new, high-quality textile products.