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H&M Conscious Exclusive to become first to feature Circulose recycled cotton

International fashion and clothing retail major Sweden-headed H&M Group will become the first brand to retail a garment made from compatriot Re:NewCell’s breakthrough new recycled cotton pulp material. Launching worldwide on March 26, 2020, H&M’s SS20 Conscious Exclusive will feature a jacquard weave day dress made of 50 percent Circulose recycled from used cotton jeans, and 50 percent FSC-certified wood-derived viscose.

International fashion and clothing retail major Sweden-headed H&M Group will become the first brand to retail a garment made from compatriot Re:NewCell’s breakthrough new recycled cotton pulp material Circulose which is produced from end-of-life clothing such as jeans (photo courtesy Alexander Donka / Re:NewCell).

According to a statement, it will be the first time this kind of material becomes available for customers to buy in retail.

This is a major milestone for fashion. For the first time, people will be able to walk into a store and buy clothes made from Circulose – likely the world’s most sustainable fashion material. We are immensely proud to introduce this innovation together with H&M Group, a company with a bold sustainability agenda, said Patrik Lundström, CEO of Re:NewCell.

The day dress, which is an easy blue colour with feminine ruffles, will go on sale for £99.99. It is part of H&M’s SS20 Conscious Exclusive collection and will be available worldwide – sold in around 100 stores globally and online in all markets.

Through its patented process at its demonstration facility in Kristinehamn, Sweden, Re:NewCell transforms old clothes containing lots of cellulose such as cotton and viscose into Circulose –  a 100 percent natural, recyclable and biodegradable material that the fashion industry can make new clothes without compromising on quality.

The process reduces fashion’s reliance on virgin cotton, oil, and forests, uses less water, fewer chemicals, and reduces 2 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kg of textile fibre produced, compared to conventional textiles.

This Circulose launch reflects the leadership that fashion companies can and need to take to avert the climate and biodiversity crises when sourcing wood-based fibers. “In just a few years H&M Group, Re:NewCell, and other investors, who have backed the development of this circular textile production, have opened the door to a sustainable future. It’s a good day for our forests and climate, Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Canopy, a Canada-headed n environmental not-for-profit working with companies to protect the world’s forests and species,

Re:NewCell’s March launch with H&M is one of a string of collaborations with other global brands set to happen in 2020. The company intends to grow its recycling capacity rapidly, targeting 250 000 tonnes, equal to one billion garments, per year by 2025.

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