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 x TextileGenesis
Circulose and TextileGenesis are partnering to scale traceable, circular materials.
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The former, formerly known as Renewcell, produces its namesake material using 100 percent textile waste—think worn-out jeans and cutting floor scraps—to make its dissolving pulp. The latter, owned by technology company Lectra, is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that better enables traceability for fashion and apparel purveyors.
By joining forces, Circulose will integrate supply chain traceability tech from TextileGenesis into its solution offering for the apparel industry.
“As the industry shifts to preferred and circular materials, strong traceability is critical to ensure integrity of sustainability claims,” said Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose. “By embedding traceability through TextileGenesis as part of our integrated solution, we make traceability easy for all brands that are buying Circulose.”
The collaboration will trace “every kilo” of the regenerated material, from pulp to final product, powered by TextileGenesis’ Fibercoin system. The tool effectively creates a digital twin of a given asset that can be tracked through the value chain for a real-time chain of custody. For the Swedish sustain-tech company, it means that digital tokens are assigned to each unit of Circulose is assigned a unique digital token. That token records all the steps its unit made throughout the supply chain and prevents double-counting.
“TextileGenesis enables brands and producers to ensure a secure, transparent, and fully digital mapping of Circulose material flows,” said Amit Gautam, founder and CEO of TextileGenesis. “Together, we are proving that traceability is not a future ambition. It is a present-day reality.”
The move cements Circulose’s commitment to being a complete solution provider for brands, rather than solely a pulp producer. The collaboration should mean all brands that purchase Circulose will be able to achieve full traceability using the TextileGenesis system.
Arvind x Circ
Textile-to-textile recycler Circ just signed a five-year partnership with one of India’s biggest integrated operations. The textile-to-retail conglomerate Arvind Limited has committed to buying Circ’s lyocell staple fiber—derived, in part, from recycled polycotton textile waste—and polyester chips over five years.
“This partnership continues a new chapter in the textile industry where scale and sustainability work hand in hand,” Circ’s chief executive, Peter Majeranowski, said in a statement. “By joining forces with one of the largest players in global textiles, we’re making textile-to-textile fibers available to more brands and unlocking circularity at true commercial scale.”
Arvind, a distribution partner for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, will integrate these next-gen materials into its large-scale apparel and garment manufacturing operations. Indian Textile, a Chennai-based journal, reported that Arvind produced 37.2 million garments last fiscal year—up 16 percent—with over 95 percent capacity utilization.
“Our partnership with Circ brings innovative, recycled materials into our supply chain at scale,” said Abhishek Bansal, Arvind’s senior vice president of sustainability. “It enables us to offer our brand partners high-quality, circular fiber solutions that align with our commitment to the future of sustainable fashion.”
It’s an important milestone for the Fiber Club partners, according to a LinkedIn post by Majeranowski, because of Arvind’s integrated business model, especially in an industry where many rely on outsourced production networks.
“Most brands do not own their supply chains,” his post reads. “That distance from the materials that go into clothing is one reason change has been so hard. This partnership helps close the gap.”
Rheom Materials x Lucky Nelly
Next-gen startup Rheom Materials teamed with Berlin-based brand LuckyNelly (again—this time on the Black Orchid Bag. The luxury label’s founder, Christine Rochlitz, designed and made the one-of-a-kind piece using Rheom’s Shorai—a next-gen leather alternative utilizing fermentation and biomass-derived inputs.
Rheom teamed with New Climate Ventures, meanwhile, to auction off the biobased purse in support of the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. The Black Orchid Bag sold for $1,805.
The funds raised will support rescue, relief and recovery services and flood assistance to various communities damaged by the July 4 flood(s), according to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. The public charitable foundation has accrued over $10 million in donations since the flooding, which caused over $1.1 billion in damage and at least 135 fatalities. At least 117 occurred in Kerr County.
Shorai contains 93 percent USDA-certified biobased content. Inspired by the Japanese word for “future,” the fiber is from natural materials, such as fermentation products, biomass derivatives, minerals and clays. It’s extruded as a continuous sheet and achieves an 80 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to synthetic leather.
Modern Meadow
Modern Meadow is bringing several executions of its next-generation material Innovera—including an exclusive black bucket seat from a Mercedes-Benz car, made in partnership with the German group—to Italy next week for Lineapelle Winter in Rho-Milan, held Sept. 23-25.
“As a sustainably minded tannery, our Modern Meadow partnership is helping us grow—Innovera easily slips into our existing leather supply chain,” said Frank Fiedler, CEO of Heller-Leder and Helcor-Leder-Tec. “Innovera positions us well for the future and new markets.”
Modern Meadow is working to keep building such partnerships within the automotive, lifestyle and interiors segments to demonstrate that Innovera is designed to adapt “to every creative and functional vision, across multiple industries and spaces,” said CEO David Williamson. To that end, the bio-design company will launch its online shop during the international leather trade fair as well.
“Developed in collaboration with our partner tanneries, these panels are not simply for direct sale—they are a starting point,” William said of the sample shop. “They exist to spark engagement, enabling designers and brands to begin exploring how they can co-create custom materials and bring new products to life in partnership with tanneries.”
