Swedish textile-to-textile recycler Renewcell has welcomed 35 new members to its Circulose Supplier Network (CSN) bringing total membership to 151 spinners, weavers, textile mills and garment manufacturers. First launched in July 2023 with 47 textile producers, the expansion underlines a new spirit of collaboration and the desire to close the loop on clothing production.

Strategic partnerships were formed with suppliers across the globe, with a focus on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Turkey. With a successful representation of fibre producers and textile suppliers in other key manufacturing regions, Renewcell’s aim has been to build Circulose manufacturing hubs in strategic locations. As fibre production at Birla Cellulose in India gains momentum, establishing a localized supply chain where Circulose is readily available has been paramount.

“Our goal was to build up key geographical regions that could service the varied requirements of our current and future brand partners,” said Tricia Carey, Renewcell’s chief commercial officer. “Being able to offer vertical or location-specific end-to-end manufacturing is significant for our continuous development.”

As the only industrial-scale producer of pulp made from 100% recycled textiles, Renewcell’s strategy is to replace virgin manmade cellulosic fibers with fibres made with Circulose, as well as offer a replacement for cotton, and to enhance the properties of mechanically recycled cotton.

With Turkey’s large cotton textile market and growing cotton recycling industry, expanding mill partnerships in the country was a prime focus.

“We are open to every new project that has benefits for innovation, sustainability and nature, and we are proud to make all our investments in this direction,” said Özge Arpaz, sales and marketing manager at new Turkish Network member Palmiye. “Fibres made with Circulose will be important in the future world when resources are scarce.”

“We’re convinced that building circular systems is essential,” added Karla Magruder, founder and president of the non-profit association Accelerating Circularity. “Every step in the system needs to do its part. To scale textile-to-textile recycling the market needs systems in place and Renewcell’s Circulose Supplier Network is the first example of putting together all the pieces through commercial entities. The ability to find and purchase yarns, knits and/or wovens at a variety of suppliers in a wide variety of geographic regions makes it possible for the next step – brands to do their part in building circular systems.”

www.renewcell.com