Re:newcell AB, a Swedish textile recycling innovator, and compatriot global fashion major H&M Group has entered a multi-year partnership to replace virgin fibers with recycled textiles in fashion products. Building on the successful introduction of "Circulose" in the SS2020 Conscious Exclusive Collection, H&M Group has committed to scaling up the use of the material across its brands over the course of five years.
According to a statement, the agreement, which was reached in September 2020, is the first of its kind in the industry and marks a significant step forward in the development of a circular economy for fashion.
With this agreement, we prove that Circulose is a viable commercial product that can make a difference at a scale that matters. We are proud to have taken the next step in our long relationship with H&M Group, a global industry leader that once again puts its words into action to change fashion. I believe that this kind of partnership will become a model for how fashion brands integrate innovations to reduce their negative impact on climate and the environment, said Patrik Lundström, CEO of Re:newcell.
Longstanding partnership
Re:newcell and H&M Group have cooperated in different ways since the founding of Renewcell in 2012. From acting as a sounding board for the concept of industrial-scale textile recycling to investing in the company in 2017, H&M Group has been a key partner supporting Re:newcell’s growth.
While the agreement does not have a significant direct financial impact for Re:newcell, it does establish a strong indirect value chain pull for its circular product.
In continuing our long-term partnership with Renewcell, this agreement is an important milestone not only for H&M Group but also for the wider industry in terms of having a circular product like theirs available at scale. To become fully circular and achieve our 2030 goal that all our materials should be either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way, we need to embrace using materials such as Circulose and ensure they are a core part of our material portfolio going forward, commented Pascal Brun, Head of Sustainability at H&M.
Under the agreement, Re:newcell will supply H&M Group with virgin quality Circulose fibers recycled from unusable textile waste at its new recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden, ramping up the annual volume over a period of five years.
The material will be used by H&M Group to replace virgin fibers from wood or cotton in garments. Subject to closing of the ongoing financing for the project, Re:newcell plans to start building the new plant in 2021 and make first deliveries starting in the first half of 2022.
