The textile industry is facing a significant challenge in that the production of fabrics is highly resource-intensive. We are working to solve this challenge with Circulose®, our branded dissolving pulp made from 100% textile waste, like old jeans and production scraps. Circulose® is a circular alternative to cotton, wood or oil in the production of textile fibers. In simple words, Circulose eliminates the use of virgin raw materials and closes the circular loop by turning old clothes into new instead of dumping them into landfills.
Even though this solution avoids a lot of production emissions, there are still many other challenges across the value chains and supply chains that need to be solved. Challenges that we share with manufacturers generally. One significant challenge is that many of the safe and regionally sourced chemicals used in the recycling process are still fossil-based or made in facilities run on fossil fuels, causing emissions from the supply chain. There are also emissions related to goods transports to and from our factories. We have a lot of work to do to improve the sustainability of our partners and value chain, and it is our responsibility to do so. In fact, this is the whole purpose of our business. We support the 2030 Agenda and intend to develop emission reduction targets that are in line with the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Agreement. We will disclose emissions and report on our overall sustainability performance starting in 2023, when our first commercial scale facility is up and running in Sundsvall, Sweden.
We start from a good place, utilizing 100% renewable energy for our operations and 100% recycled raw materials in our production, which addresses a significant part of the climate impact of a typical company in our industry, but we have much more to do. The fact that we have the solution to one crucial challenge doesn’t mean we are backing down from everything else that needs to change. To be a company that spearheads a new circular industrial era, there’s work to be done not only in the world of fashion but also inside our factory walls.
Development means constantly trying to improve things, and we want to build a culture that leads by example. Having a world-changing innovation is just the starting point. What comes next is all about working together to take the idea of “sustainability” as far as we can and strive for a future where taking responsibility for all aspects of life is the new business norm. We are looking forward to being a part of this network that is all about working together to accelerate solutions.
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Such a great innovation, how have you been using circulose so far? Do you collaborate with apparel brands?