The transition toward circular materials in the global textile industry continues to accelerate as textile-to-textile recycling innovator Circulose joins the technology ecosystem of Finnish fiber innovator Spinnova. The partnership aims to support the commercial scale-up of Spinnova’s sustainable fiber technology by integrating recycled textile waste into its production process, creating a new pathway for circular and bio-based textile fibers.
Integrating Recycled Textile Waste into Next-Generation Fiber Production
Spinnova has been actively building a network of partners across the textile value chain to accelerate the commercialization of its patented fiber production technology. By bringing Circulose into its ecosystem, the company gains access to a valuable recycled raw material derived entirely from textile waste—an increasingly important resource as brands and manufacturers seek sustainable alternatives to virgin fibers.
Circulose has positioned itself as a pioneer in circular solutions for the fashion industry. Through its patented recycling process, the company converts cellulosic-rich textile waste into dissolving pulp known as CIRCULOSE®. This pulp is produced from both pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste and can traditionally be used to produce regenerated fibers such as viscose, lyocell, and viscose filament.
Under the new collaboration, CIRCULOSE® pulp will be integrated into Spinnova’s fiber production technology as a feedstock for creating new textile fibers. Unlike conventional man-made cellulosic fiber production methods that rely on chemical dissolution and regeneration processes, Spinnova’s technology uses a mechanical method to transform pulp directly into fiber. This approach eliminates the need for harmful chemicals and avoids dissolving the raw material during the spinning process.
Another major advantage of the integration is that CIRCULOSE® pulp can be used in Spinnova’s process at 100% content, eliminating the need to blend it with virgin pulp. This capability allows for significantly higher recycled content in the final fiber and supports the development of truly circular textile materials.
The collaboration builds on earlier technical cooperation between the two companies. Spinnova successfully conducted trials in 2023 to spin CIRCULOSE® pulp into textile fibers and evaluate its performance in yarn spinning and fabric weaving. With the formal partnership now announced, the companies plan to deepen the integration of the recycled pulp into Spinnova’s technology and expand its use within the broader Spinnova ecosystem.
Commenting on the partnership, Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose, said the company is excited to renew its collaboration with Spinnova and believes that innovation will allow man-made cellulosic fibers to play a much larger role in the future of textiles. He highlighted that Spinnova’s fiber not only offers strong sustainability credentials but also delivers attractive performance properties.
Meanwhile, Janne Poranen, CEO of Spinnova, welcomed Circulose to the company’s growing ecosystem, noting that combining textile waste-based pulp with Spinnova’s patented process creates a unique circular solution for fiber production. He emphasized that the technology allows CIRCULOSE® pulp to be transformed into cotton-like textile fibers instead of traditional viscose, helping expand the range of lower-impact materials available to the textile industry.
As demand for high-quality recycled materials continues to grow across global fashion supply chains, the collaboration between Circulose and Spinnova represents another important step toward scaling circular fiber production and reducing the textile industry’s dependence on virgin resources.
