Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering news from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
Circulose
To evolve from pulp producer to solution provider, Swedish sustain-tech company Circulose has launched Circulose Forward: a platform of tools to help brands integrate the regenerated cotton material into their supply chains and product offerings.
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“Scaling up next-gen materials is not straightforward,” said Jonatan Janmark, CEO of the rechristened Circulose. “To enable adoption at scale and at pace, we need to make integration into brands’ supply chains seamless. Circulose Forward is a key initiative to make that happen.”
The platform’s practical tool includes a digital materials library, price benchmarking and an optimized supplier network—all intended to enable smooth adoption of low-impact fibers for next-gen products at scale. Ideally, it will help brands meet sustainability and circularity goals and build supply-chain resiliency without compromising on quality, design or commercial viability.
As the initiative’s first rollout, the material library is a digital showcase of commercially available materials made with Circulose. It includes a curated selection of fabrics and yarns that highlight the beauty, performance, and versatility of Circulose. Of those materials, a selection qualifies as priced materials—meaning they follow the Circulose Forward Price Logic, as grounded in the principle of zero unwarranted price amplification through the value chain steps. The price calculator tool leverages this logic to help brands estimate the expected cost impact (at the material or garment level) of adopting the dissolving pulp.
A flurry of industry players has embraced the idea, with Canopy and many of its partners celebrating the industry’s latest step in scaling circular solutions to mark the occasion.
“This platform provides practical, scalable solutions that align with both climate science and market needs,” said Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of the Vancouver-based nonprofit. “It’s the kind of innovation that helps the industry leave deforestation in the past and move decisively toward a resilient, low-carbon, next-gen future.”
“At Tommy Hilfiger, we believe the future of fashion should be circular, and we’re taking steps to make it a reality today,” Thijs Maartens, vice president of global sustainability at Tommy Hilfiger, said. “The launch of Circulose Forward supports the scaling of Circulose within our collection and achieving our goal to increase our use of more innovative materials.”
Another brand was glad to see Circulose overcome former barriers, considering the company’s past as proof of the state of the industry when implementing innovation.
“We repeatedly support their work for two main reasons: We believe in the material, and we also want to prove to ourselves that products can be made differently, while still being equally relevant, long lasting, and beautiful,” said Cecilia Guarás, I+D and sustainability manager of Bobo Choses. “Our respect and admiration for the role that Canopy plays in supporting the fashion industry in its sustainable transformation is huge, and we are very grateful to be part of this joint initiative. If you go together, you go further, and when it comes to impact, long-term commitments are crucial.”
Aditya Birla Group, meanwhile, saw the launch represent a significant step in providing scalable, sustainable and ready-to-be-plugged-into value chain solutions to brands.
“By integrating high-quality recycled materials like Circulose into our fiber offerings, we support our partners in reducing environmental impact while meeting the growing demand for circular fashion,” Sucharu Uppal, joint president of brands and retail of Grasim Industries Limited, said.
As the first production partner of Circulose, Tangshan Sanyou’s executive vice president, Zhang Dongbin, said the Chinese chemical company is “proud to be a pioneer in driving the man-made cellulosic fiber industry toward a more sustainable path.”
The news follows last week’s partnership with Barcelona-based retailer Mango as the first partner since rising from the ashes of its Renewcell past. The Circulose Forward platform is still under development, but a preview is available now online.
“This is just the beginning,” Janmark said. “Circulose Forward will continue to grow, giving our partners access to a robust portfolio of tools that make circularity not a distant vision—but a reality today.”
Fashion for Good
Global initiative Fashion for Good announced a strategic partnership with materials science company Altmat to advance its Fiber Club initiative. Altag Fiber Club is designed to fast-track the commercial adoption of next-generation fibers—from agricultural waste streams—at scale, supporting the industry’s transition toward circular materials.
“Advancing the Fiber Club with Altmat marks a significant step in scaling innovative materials with real commercial potential,” said Katrin Ley, managing director of Fashion for Good. “By connecting breakthrough innovators like Altmat with committed brand partners, we’re building the infrastructure and demand needed to bring next-gen materials to market faster and more efficiently.”
For brands, integrating next-generation materials presents operational hurdles. On the other hand, material innovators struggle with the capital-intensive scaling process. These mutual challenges, according to the Amsterdam-based innovation platform, create a “systemic deadlock.”
To address these historically hindering scaling challenges holding material innovation adoption back, Fashion for Good partnered with AltMat through a collaborative framework that enables brands to pool resources and commit to minimum order quantities, in turn reducing financial risk for both innovators and manufacturers.
The Altag Fiber Club brings together a consortium of value supply chain partners—including Adalberto, Alok, Arvind, Bhaskar Denim, Jindal Textiles, Maharaja Shree Umaid Mills, Positive Materials, Sambandam Spinning Mills Limited, Shahi Exports, Sutlej Textiles, Sweaters India and Industries Limited, as well as Vrijesh Natural Fiber & Fabrics—to integrate AltMat’s fibers into mainstream production processes.
AltMat (formerly known as Canva Fiber Labs) turns agri-waste (such as hemp and banana discards) into yarn using a mix of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic techniques.
This collaborative model builds on Fashion for Good’s first Fiber Club with textile-to-textile recycler Circ last year, in collaboration with Canopy, which aims to overcome key adoption barriers such as scalability, processing compatibility and cost competitiveness.
“There’s no shortage of intent to adopt next-gen materials, but there is a lack of systems to actually make it happen,” said Shikha Shah AltMat’s founder and chief executive officer. “With the Altag Fiber Club, we are closing that gap by connecting every link in the value chain, from farm to fiber to fashion. We’re not just introducing a fiber; we’re building the foundation for a new class of materials rooted in regeneration, resilience and real-world scalability.”
Novoloop
Advanced chemical recycling company Novoloop announced the successful close of its $21 million Series B funding round, led by asset management company Taranis.
“We are thrilled to partner with Taranis, whose deep commitment in plastic circularity and industrial decarbonization aligns with our ambition to scale Lifecycling globally,” said Miranda Wang, co-founder and CEO of the circular innovation company. “This round positions us to meet growing demand from a wider supply chain seeking circular and cost-competitive polyurethanes through the industrial scale-up of our first-of-a-kind technology.”
The investment helps accelerate the commercial scale-up of Novoloop’s proprietary Lifecycling technology, which transforms post-consumer polyethylene into high-performance polyol and polyurethane, supporting the launch of several customer programs as well.
“As the world looks to decarbonize materials and eliminate waste, Novoloop offers a breakthrough solution for upcycling polyethylene—one of the hardest plastics to recycle,” said David Sorin, managing director of Taranis. “Their technology fits within our mission to decarbonize heavy industries and scale circular infrastructure. We are proud to back the team in building a more circular, low-carbon plastics economy.”
Circ
Textile-to-textile recycling firm Circ has announced a strategic partnership with Selenis, a global polyester manufacturer in Portugal, to toll and polymerize thousands of metric tons of Circ Polyester at scale.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to reducing waste and scaling up advanced recycling solutions,” said Duarte Matos Gil, CEO of Selenis. “Circularity is no longer a concept; it must become an industrial reality.”
The agreement advances the commercial production of Circ Polyester in Europe and bolsters the company’s mission to scale circular alternatives to both polyester and man-made cellulosic fibers—in this case, lyocell—within fashion’s supply chains.
“Whether it is bottle-to-bottle or textile-to-textile, the goal is the same: materials must complete a full life cycle and return as high-quality products, again and again. A bottle should become a new bottle, not downcycled. A garment should be reborn as another garment, not wasted,” Matos Gil said. “To achieve this on a scale, we need both innovation and regulation. Supportive, forward-looking legislation is essential to unlock investment and create a level playing field for truly circular systems.”
Circ will leverage Selenis’ polymerization infrastructure and technical expertise to transform recycled monomers from end-of-life textiles into Circ Polyester, ready for application across various apparel categories.
“Selenis has been a long-standing partner in our journey, and we’re proud to take this next step with them to bring Circ Polyester to market at industrial volumes,” said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. “This is also a defining moment that affirms Circ’s dual-product strategy, offering both recycled lyocell and polyester—as we meet growing demand for circular materials across categories.”
The high-performance polyester producer brings decades of technical expertise and operational excellence to the partnership. The company’s collaboration with Circ works to advance the next generation of recycled polyester and expand the range of circular solutions available to producers, mills and brands alike.
“While the world was focused on recycling for packaging, our strategy since 2022 was to lead textile circularity,” said Eduardo Santos, global head of corporate strategy at Selenis. “This partnership with Circ, officially launched in June 2023, represents a tangible step in tackling fast fashion’s impact on the environment. We’ve made strategic advances—first in the U.S. and now, in Italy—strengthening our position in textile circularity across both sides of the Atlantic.”
Balena
Materials science company Balena has entered into the sports industry with a bacteria-fermented frisbee. Crafted using Balena’s BioCirX biopolymer, the frisbee is engineered for durability, impact resistance, as well as a “responsible end-of-life across compost, soil and marine environments.”
“Breaking into the sports industry with a product that’s both high-performance and fully circular is a proud moment for us at Balena,” David Roubach, founder and CEO of Balena, said. “This frisbee, made from our bacteria-fermented bioplastic, is proof that sustainable materials can go beyond concepts and prototypes, they can play, perform, and inspire. It’s a small object with a big message: sustainable materials can meet the demands of real-world performance without leaving a trace.”
Balena’s BioCirX is a high-impact rigid injection molding material derived from 100 percent biobased and biodegradable natural polymers sourced from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) through bacterial fermentation.
Performance tests confirmed the frisbee’s impact resistance, flexural strength and biodegradability, engineered to break down in compost, soil or marine conditions. In terms of scaling, Balena’s ready for efficient production via injection molding, with the frisbee available for brand partnerships starting in August.
