Circulose is on a hot streak.
Just days after the regenerated cellulosic fiber maker announced that Bestseller, John Lewis, C&A, Filippa K, Reformation, Faherty, Bobo Choses and Zero joined its stable of brand partners, Birla Cellulose was brought to the fold. Circulose has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Cellulosic Fibres Business of the Aditya Birla Group to accelerate textile recycling.
“Over the past year, we’ve refined our approach to put brands at the center, with a clear focus on creating offerings that enable mainstream adoption,” said Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose. “Achieving this requires closer collaboration with key partners across the value chain.”
Per the agreement’s terms, Circulose will supply Birla with its patented pulp—as made with 100 percent recycled textile waste—which the manmade cellulosic fiber (MMCF) producer will use to make viscose staple fiber—which will then be made available to Circulose’s brand partners.
“Our partnership with Circulose marks a significant step forward in advancing sustainable and responsible sourcing,” said Vadiraj Kulkarni, business head of Birla Cellulose. “Through this collaboration, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering high quality, sustainability-conscious fiber solutions that empower our customers and contribute to a circular future.”
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Since emerging from the ashes of bankruptcy, the rechristened Circulose—complete with a new name and owners—has focused on scaling production and use of its proprietary regenerated material, also called Circulose.
To do just that, the Swedish sustain-tech company developed a new commercial strategy—one focused on forging close brand partnerships, using a nascent pricing model and expanded support services—developed in collaboration with Fashion for Good and Canopy as a joint initiative to accelerate the shift to next-gen materials by making them more price-effective for brands. Partnering with Birla 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 joining forces with Lectra-owned TextileGenesis in September to integrate its supply chain traceability technology into its material offering for the apparel industry. The Circulose Forward platform was announced in June, while a bolstered relationship with longtime backer Tangshan Sanyou was announced in April.
