Meet the Innovator: Infinited Fiber Company
Photo courtesy of Infinited Fiber Company
8 May 2023
Through our global Innovation Platform, Fashion for Good supports critical innovations on their journey to scale, providing hands-on project management, access to funding and expertise, and collaborations with brands and manufacturers to accelerate implementation in the fashion supply chain. In this series, we are proud to introduce some of the groundbreaking innovators who are driving the change to make fashion a force for good.
Currently, a large percentage of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated, rather than being recycled or reused. Infinited Fiber Company’s technology offers a solution to this problem by reducing the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills and by creating a circular economy.
Infinited Fiber Company focuses on turning post-consumer cotton rich textile and cardboard waste into new cotton-like fibres that can be recycled and reused. The innovative process involves breaking down cellulose-based materials like cotton, viscose, and denim into a pulp, which is then treated with a chemical process that turns it into a regenerated fibre that can be spun into yarn and woven into new fabrics. The resulting fibre is durable, versatile, and can be used in a variety of textile applications.
The fibre, known as Infinna™, shares many properties with cotton in feel and versatility while eliminating the need to grow new materials, instead capturing the value of what’s already been produced. Infinna™ is a circular and more sustainable option to conventional textile fibres like cotton, polyester and viscose.
KEY MILESTONES
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2016
The technology developed by VTT is spun off and Infinited Fiber Company is founded in Finland by Petri Alava and Ali Harlin to commercialise this innovation.
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2017
Infinited Fiber Company joins Fashion for Good for bespoke support on their roadmap to scale.
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2020
Infinited Fiber Company joins Fashion for Good chemical recycling consortium project with Birla Cellulose, PVH Corp. and Kering, leading to offtake agreement with PVH Corp.
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2021
Infinited Fiber Company raises €30M in a Series B round. Our partners adidas, BESTSELLER and Zalando invest in the technology with the support of Fashion for Good. The innovator joins the New Cotton Project, a EU funded project with Fashion for Good, adidas and H&M Group, leading to the production of a capsule collection.
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2022
Infinited Fiber Company signs a multi-year partnership with PVH Europe and three-year commitment with Inditex. The innovator joins the EU-funded T-REX consortium.
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2023
Infinited Fiber Company picks the first commercial plant site for its planned €400M textile fibre factory investment, with an annual fibre production capacity expected to be 30,000 metric tons. The factory is expected to operate at full capacity in 2026.
IMPACT
The production of Infinna™ fibre consumes less water compared to cotton and viscose, and by recycling textile waste, is helping to reduce the amount of textiles that end up in landfills or incinerated. As such, they are capturing resources that would otherwise be wasted and alleviating the burden on virgin resources.
COMMERCIAL IMPLEMENTATIONS
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2019
H&M Group teams up with Infinited Fiber Company to design a two-piece outfit.
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2021
H&M Group unveils limited edition Infinna™ jeans.
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2022
PANGAIA launches the first shirts made with 100% Infinna™.
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2022
PVH Europe signs a multi year partnership with Infinited Fiber Company.
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2022
Inditex signs a three-year commitment to buy Infinna™.
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2022
Tommy Hilfiger releases T-shirts made with Infinna™ in Europe.
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2022
adidas and Stella McCartney unveil the first garment designed with Infinna™ under New Cotton Project,
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2023
Ganni releases T-shirts made with Infinna™.
WHAT’S NEXT
Infinited Fiber Company is preparing to build a commercial 30,000 tonnes/year flagship facility ready for production in 2026 in Finland.
LINKS
Website: https://infinitedfiber.com/
Learn more about Infinited Fiber Company’s involvement in the New Cotton Project, T-REX and the Fashion for Good Full Circle Textiles Project
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