The fashion industry has traditionally been extremely wasteful, with a supply chain that involves producing vast amounts of cotton, using a great amount of water. Chemicals and treatments are also used to treat the clothes, which have been reported to be dangerous for both workers and consumers. When fashions and season's must-haves have passed, clothes end up in landfill.

Renewcell is on a mission to close the circularity gap. The 100% Circulose cotton is made in a patented processes involving converting used cotton into a pulp. Compared to other recycled fibres and materials in the market, this pulp can be broken down to a molecular stage and therefore can produce longer, more uniform fibres.

This is how it works:

1. Discarded textiles are taken in.

2. Clothes are shredded (with contaminants like plastics and polyester removed), and turned into a slurry.

3. What remains is the cellulose - the biodegradable organic polymer that cotton is made from.

4. The slurry is dried to produce sheets of Circulose, which is then packaged and sold.

5. Brands design and produce clothes using these fibres.

Brands like Levi's and H&M have started to incorporate Renewcell's technology into their regular textiles. A fixable Chinese manufacturer of textiles, called Tang Shan San You, has invested in the company. The growing exposure of the benefits of Circulose cotton means sustainable textile materials are starting to shape the industry norm - becoming more circular.

CIRCULOSE is to be the first official partner to Copenhagen Fashion Week's Talent Support Scheme. Swedish retailer H&M announced a five-year commitment to replace virgin fibre with recycled materials made from Circulose in November 2020. It has since purchased 10,000 tons of recycled pulp.

Renewcell and ZARA Collaborate to Create a Capsule Collection Made from Material Produced with Circulose®