#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-09-24

Circulose and Jilin Chemical Fiber forge partnership to scale circular Viscose filament yarn

Circulose, a global leader in textile recycling, has entered into a strategic partnership with Jilin Chemical Fiber to exclusively market and sell viscose filament yarn produced with CIRCULOSE® for the global market in 2026 to 2028, accelerating the large-scale adoption of next-gen textile fibers.

Stacked CIRCULOSE® sheets on pallet © 2025 Circulose / Donka

Jilin’s viscose filament yarn, JIRECELL® is made from a blend of 30% CIRCULOSE® and 70% certified wood pulp, with an ambition to increase the recycled content to 50%. After several years of collaboration and market validation, Jilin and Circulose are now scaling up production to meet proven international demand for circular and sustainable viscose filament yarn.

“Our partnership with Jilin is another cornerstone in Circulose’s mission to accelerate fashion’s transition to circularity,” said Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose. “JIRECELL® demonstrates both technical excellence and market readiness. 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.”

Jilin is taking a global leadership role in circularity by making a firm commitment to purchase annually increasing volumes of CIRCULOSE® pulp. To fulfill this commitment, any CIRCULOSE® pulp not used in JIRECELL® production will be blended in lower concentrations across Jilin’s wider fiber portfolio. This is in line with the work Jilin has been doing with Canopy, a solutions driven not-for-profit organization, to transition away from dependence on Ancient and Endangered Forest inputs and towards circular cellulose for the fashion sector. As the first fiber producer globally to pursue this approach, Jilin is setting ambitious targets to increase the share of recycled pulp in their production. By ensuring demand certainty for recyclers like Circulose, this approach enables the investment and scale needed to lower costs and accelerate the mainstream adoption of next-gen textile fibers across the industry.

“We have been working with CIRCULOSE® for many years and we have full confidence in its performance and market potential,” said Jin Dong-Jie, General Manager of Jilin Chemical. “With this commitment, we are proud to set a global benchmark for textile circularity. Together with Circulose, we will lead the industry toward a future where recycled fibers are the norm.”

This partnership marks a milestone for Circulose’s strategy to restart large-scale production and drive broader impact in global textile supply chains. By combining Circulose’s world-leading recycling technology with Jilin’s innovation in viscose filament yarn, JIRECELL® is set to accelerate the industry’s transition to circular and renewable textiles at scale.

Circulose restarts commercial-scale production at Ortviken plant in Sundsvall

Circulose today announced the restart of its commercial-scale production plant at Ortviken in Sundsvall, Sweden, marking a significant step in scaling next-generation materials for the global fashion industry. The company plans to resume production of CIRCULOSE®, a recycled pulp made entirely from discarded cotton textiles, in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Reju announces site selection for French Regeneration Hub in Lacq advancing Europe’s circular textile infrastructure

Reju, the textile-to-textile regeneration company based in France, announces the site selection for an industrial sized Regeneration Hub, in Lacq, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, on the Induslacq platform. Reju, a Technip Energies owned company, is deepening its roots in France through the development of this new Regeneration Hub.

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Circ announces New Fiber Club partners to accelerate commercial adoption of recycled textiles

Circ®, a global leader in textile‑to‑textile recycling, announced the scaling of its Fiber Club initiative. Building on the success of the inaugural program, Circ is bringing together a new group of brand partners: the lifestyle brand Madewell (under J.Crew Group), sustainable fashion brand Reformation, and European retailer C&A, alongside supply chain partners Lenzing and Linz Textil.

Esquel Group adds two new extra-long staple cotton varieties approved

Esquel Group’s Xinjiang Research & Development Center has successfully developed two new Sea Island cotton (Extra-Long-Staple cotton, ELS cotton) varieties named “Yuan Loong 37” and “Yuan Loong 42,” which have been officially approved and granted registration numbers. Both varieties have also obtained Plant Variety Rights certificates, marking another significant breakthrough for the Group in cotton breeding and commercial application.

Itema America acquires Palmetto Loom Reed, strengthening local manufacturing and service in the U.S.

Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Italy-based Itema Group, has acquired – through an Assets Purchase Agreement – Palmetto Loom Reed, a Greenville, South Carolina-based manufacturer of weaving reeds and one of the last remaining domestic producers of these precision components in the United States.

lululemon introduces Unrestricted Power™ — A new sensation for strength training

lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) has unveiled Unrestricted Power™, a new innovation platform engineered for heavy lifts and demanding gym sessions. The assortment, which launches in North America, is backed by thousands of hours of research and development, providing secure support without compromising comfort and mobility, enabling a distraction-free fit built to match every move.

Aid by Trade Foundation reaches new milestones in supply chain transparency

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is reaching new milestones as it leads the way towards greater physical traceability for Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) cotton. With around 700 suppliers and producers in a total of 25 countries, the Aid by Trade Foundation has reached a new record number of partners who can trace CmiA cotton from the product back to its origin. This is more than double the previous year’s figure.