Circulose partners with Lectra’s TextileGenesis to boost fibre traceability

Swedish fibre recycling specialist Circulose, formerly known as Renewcell, aims to simplify the verification of the circular nature of its materials. To help accelerate its growth, the company will rely on the TextileGenesis platform from French group Lectra.

Circulose produces its eponymous material from recycled cotton in the form of a cellulosic fibre — a chemically transformed, plant-based material — suitable for use in clothing once again. The company also reports that its fibre has already featured in the collections of Marimekko, C&A, Levi’s, Arket, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

In spring, Spanish brand Mango announced its intention to introduce these materials into its production chain. A few weeks later, Swedish group H&M made a similar commitment to the supplier. All these brands’ pursuit of responsible materials depends on better fibre traceability.

“As the industry moves towards preferred and circular materials, rigorous traceability is essential to ensure the integrity of sustainability claims,” said Circulose CEO Jonatan Janmark, explaining the rationale for this partnership with TextileGenesis’s tracking system.

Earlier this year, Circulose joined the forest-protection NGO Canopy and subsequently signed a strategic partnership with Tangshan Sanyou, one of the world’s leading companies in cellulosic fibres. The company will integrate Circulose fibres into its offering, securing a strategic outlet for the Swedish company.

Together with fellow Swedish company Syre, US-based Circ, and Turkey’s Re&Up (a subsidiary of the Sanko Group), Circulose established the T2T Alliance in March to represent closed-loop textile recycling specialists in their dealings with European public authorities.