Bailu Group (Xinxiang Chemical Fiber) has launched a small-scale pilot production line for Next Gen viscose fibre at its new BylurRecel facility in Xinxiang City, China.

The line will produce regenerated cellulosic fibres using recovered textiles, the majority of which are post-consumer materials such as discarded hotel linens, with some pre-consumer industrial waste also in the mix.

The BylurRecel line features a simplified production process that skips the traditional dissolving pulp stage, instead using a direct-dissolution method. While still in the early stages, this method offers potential environmental benefits by reducing energy, water and chemical use.

The pilot facility has an initial annual capacity of 1,000 tons of viscose staple fibre, with a second line under development for an annual 1,000 tons of viscose filament. Bailu anticipates producing approximately 600 tons of Next Gen fibre in 2025. Given the early stage of this in-house technology, scale-up targets will be set pending operational performance of the pilot mills and supply chain logistics.

“Congratulations to Bailu Group on the commissioning of its BylurRecel pilot facility,” said Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy, the non-profit dedicated to protecting the world’s forests, species. “While still early in its development, this project is a noteworthy step in the transition of China’s manmade cellulose  sector to more circular and Next Gen production.

“Bailu Group’s investment to develop in-house technology for repurposing post-consumer textiles while eliminating the pulp-making stage is a promising approach that will take the pressure off vital forest ecosystems. We look forward to seeing how this technology performs and how quickly Bailu can bring it to commercial scale.”

At scale, BylurRecel will meaningfully contribute to China’s national target to reduce textile waste by 30% by 2030 and is designed to align with a closed-loop model of textiles-consumption-reuse.

Bailu already produces Bailu-Eco viscose filament yarn made with Södra’s OnceMore recycled pulp. The company is based in Henan Province and has a total capacity of 100,000 tons per year. It has been working with Canopy since 2018, is a recipient of a Dark Green Shirt in the 2024 Hot Button Report and is assessed as low risk for sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.

www.canopyplanet.org