Circulose (regenerated cellulose from used textiles)
Also known as: CIRCULOSE, Renewcell pulp, Textile-to-textile pulp, Recycled dissolving pulp
Chemically processed pulp made from 100 % post-consumer cotton textiles, used as feedstock for viscose, lyocell and modal.
Description
Circulose is the brand name of a regenerated pulp made from 100 percent post-consumer cotton textiles. The technology was developed by Swedish company Renewcell AB (now Circulose AB) in Sundsvall, where the world's first commercial textile-to-textile recycling plant went online in November 2022 at the Ortviken site. Capacity is up to 60,000 tonnes of pulp per year.
Process: collected used textiles (T-shirts, denim, bed linen) are mechanically shredded, sorted and chemically stripped of dyes, foreign fibres and contaminants. What remains is a pure cellulose pulp (dissolving pulp) that feeds directly back into conventional viscose, modal or lyocell fibre production. CIRCULOSE thus replaces virgin wood pulp and closes the textile loop with the same base material. Brand partners include H&M, Zara/Inditex, Levi's, Tommy Hilfiger, Reformation, Mango, Marks & Spencer, C&A and EILEEN FISHER. After Renewcell's insolvency in 2024, the business continued under new ownership as Circulose AB.
- 100 percent post-consumer cotton as feedstock
- World's first commercial textile-to-textile pulp mill (Ortviken, Sweden)
- Compatible with existing viscose/lyocell infrastructure
- Reduces demand for virgin wood pulp and water use
Properties
| Feedstock | 100 % post-consumer cotton |
|---|---|
| Processing | Chemical breakdown to dissolving pulp |
| Downstream | Feedstock for viscose, modal, lyocell |
| Capacity | Ortviken, Sweden — up to 60,000 t/yr |
| Brand partners | H&M, Inditex, Levi's, Tommy Hilfiger, C&A |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Circulose AB (official) circulose.com https://www.circulose.com/
- Wikipedia: Renewcell Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewcell
