Six leading fashion and textile brands are partnering with Infinited Fibre Company to use its technology which creates high-quality, bio-based regenerated fibres from discarded textiles, over and over again, retaining the quality of original fibres. The patented technology enables any cellulose-rich material to be reborn as soft and natural textile fibres.
The fibre produced from any cellulose-rich material – including textile waste, used cardboard, straw, or wood – have unique characteristics, including extremely high dye uptake. The finished fibres are biodegradable as impurities, like plastic residues from polyester or elastane, are removed in the process. The fibres can also be re-recycled using the same technology without loss of quality. The fibres can be used on their own for 100 per cent waste-based, circular textiles, or blended with other fibres in yarn manufacturing.
The brands view the technology as a viable, circular alternative to virgin cotton that takes them a step closer to responding to the mounting consumer demand for sustainable clothing and textiles. The fashion brands endorsing Infinited Fibre Company’s technology are H&M Group, Bestseller, PVH Corp, Wrangler, and Patagonia. Suominen, a globally leading supplier of nonwovens for wipes, is also endorsing the technology.
“Infinited Fibre is just what we are looking for as their innovation aligns with Bestseller’s ambition of becoming circular by design. The feedstock is waste, and the technology does not use high amounts of water or harmful chemicals. The fibre is commercial quality and can be used to create the styles that our customers love. The clothes we make using Infinited Fibre can even be recycled again. All of this is making their technology the ultimate solution to our strategy of becoming circular by design,” said Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, sustainable materials and innovation manager at Bestseller.
Patagonia’s Materials Development director Sarah Hayes added “Infinited fibre shows the industry that apparel waste has high value and is something to be utilised. This waste is not only being upcycled but is being used to make a new premium fibre that can help push the industry toward circularity.”
Each of the brands has worked with Infinited Fibre Company for a length of time, some already for several years. They have also conducted in-house quality testing on various types of textiles created from Infinited Fibre Company’s regenerated fibre, including single jersey, French terry, denim, shirting fabric, and nonwoven fabric. Each has found the fibres and textiles they have tested to meet their brand’s stringent material quality requirements and views the fibres as ready for commercial applications.
“Developing sustainable solutions for the apparel industry requires collaboration,” said Roian Atwood, senior director, Global Sustainable Business, Wrangler. “We’re proud to work with Infinited Fibre Company and others across the industry to help shepherd this innovation into commercial use. At Wrangler, we are committed to evolving our supply chain to support a circular economy, and our work with Infinited Fibre Company is one step forward in that effort.”
Representing the nonwovens industry, Suominen’s product development manager Miika Nikinmaa said: “Suominen has been working closely with Infinited Fibre Company and it has been thrilling to see the fibre develop from an idea into a commercially viable product. Suominen sees great benefits in working with Infinited Fibre Company for circular product design and a less wasteful future for the essential single-use items.”
“Having invested in and worked closely with Infinited Fibre Company over a number of years, we are incredibly excited about their continued development and what this will mean for both H&M Group, and the wider industry in terms of our collective drive towards a more sustainable future. To see other brands collaborating with Infinited Fibre Company speaks not only to the quality of product but also to its exciting commercial possibilities,” said Erik Karlsson, investment manager at H&M Group’s investment arm CO:LAB.
Infinited Fibre Company is enthusiastic about the potential for circularity in textiles going forward. “It is exciting to see the leading brands in the fashion and nonwoven textile industries validate and endorse our regenerated fibre. Our technology is ready to be scaled, and through close collaboration with these visionary brands we really can make circularity a reality – not in some far-off distant future, but very, very soon!” said Infinited Fibre Company cofounder and CEO Petri Alava.
