Circulose and Jilin Chemical Fiber (JLC) have entered a strategic partnership. The China-based chemical fiber producer will exclusively market and sell Jirecell for the global market from 2026 to 2028.
After several years of collaboration and market validation, the partners are now scaling production to meet international demand—evidenced by the regenerated cellulose fiber’s sustained traction—as a sustainable swap to synthetics. That solution is Jirecell.
While the viscose filament yarn is currently made from 70 percent FSC-certified wood and 30 percent recycled cotton Circulose pulp, the goal is to reach 50 percent recycled input.
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“Jirecell demonstrates both technical excellence and market readiness,” said Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose. “With Jilin’s leadership and global reach, this collaboration paves the way for an ambitious scale up of viscose filament yarn made with Circulose, while helping us to ensure the necessary volume for our factory.”
After emerging from bankruptcy as a new company under private equity firm Altor last June, the rechristened Circulose said the partnership is another cornerstone for the company, per Janmark, as it works to accelerate the industry’s transition to circularity. Other cornerstones for the firm formerly known as Renewcell include the Circulose Forward platform, announced in June, and a bolstered relationship with longtime backer Tangshan Sanyou, announced in April.
To cement its status as a circularity champion, JLC has committed to purchasing annually increasing volumes of Circulose pulp. Per the terms, any Circulose pulp, made from 100 percent recycled textiles, that JLC didn’t use to make Jirecell will be added to the company’s broader fiber portfolio—in a less-concentrated capacity.
It’s similar to the work JLC has done with Canopy in an effort to reduce reliance on Ancient and Endangered Forest inputs—moving toward circular cellulose instead. In May, the solutions-driven nonprofit reported JLC’s expansion plans for two next-generation man-made cellulosic fiber (MMCF) product lines. The move would increase production to a reported annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons, with the potential for an additional 10,000 metric tons of Jirecell annually, ever after.
“Scaling next-gen MMCF is essential; Jilin Chemical Fiber’s latest next-gen expansions are a positive signal of growing momentum within the sector,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy’s founder and executive director. That said, JLC uses non-forest-based raw materials that are not assessed by the CanopyStyle Audit, according to the nonprofit’s Hot Button Report, such as bamboo and cotton linters, both sourced from China.
JLC and Circulose have worked together for a number of years, shared general manager Jin Dong-Jie, since at least 2019; the chemical producer has “full confidence in its performance and market potential.”
“With this commitment, we are proud to set a global benchmark for textile circularity,” Dong-Jie said. “Together with Circulose, we will lead the industry toward a future where recycled fibers are the norm.”
