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Open Letter to the Fashion Industry

At Fashion for Good, we're on a mission to transform the fashion industry into a circular and sustainable industry. We do this by accelerating and scaling innovation. Scaling innovation, however, is a long and complex journey which requires all stakeholders — innovators, brands, supply chain partners, investors, and consumers — to play their roles and to walk the talk.

Last week, Renewcell, one of our textile-to-textile recycling innovators, reported that sales were “slower than expected”, causing real worry about the credibility of the industry’s sustainability commitments and of innovators’ ability to succeed. But a small bump in the road should not overshadow the strong underlying fundamentals and the incredible progress they’ve made over the last decade, including: 

  • Renewcell is the world’s first commercial-scale dissolving pulp mill using 100% textile waste, with a production capacity of 60,000 tonnes. EU legislation will ban landfilling textiles by 2025, and Renewcell is the first commercial scale Next Gen provider in the market capable of fulfilling these ambitions.
  • Major viscose producers like Birla Cellulose and Tangshan Sanyou are incorporating CIRCULOSE® in their production lines, optimising their processes towards consistent quality outcomes.
  • Renewcell has built a global supplier network consisting of 116 supply chain partners (including spinners and weavers) to facilitate brands’ access to textiles made with CIRCULOSE®.
  • Pioneering brands are eager to incorporate low-impact circular solutions. Renewcell has already commercialised over 250+ styles made with CIRCULOSE® in collaboration with brands like INDITEX, H&M, Levi’s, GANNI, and PVH.

 

First-to-market technologies and the ramp-up of new production processes will always face challenges, especially in a supply chain as complex as the fashion industry. However, the progress made by Renewcelll cannot be overstated; and the strong drivers for Renewcell’s relevance in the fashion industry should not be overlooked. We need to prioritise long-term views and trajectories over short-term financial results. Textile waste is not going anywhere, and the demand for recycled output will continue to grow as legislation sweeps over; innovators like Renewcell are leading the way. 

But their success is dependent on our support. Brands, suppliers, investors and consumers: we need all hands on deck to successfully commercialise innovative technologies. 

You can read our “Meet the Innovator: Renewcell” article here: https://fashionforgood.com/our_news/meet-the-innovator-renewcell/ 

You can read Canopy’s op-ed here: https://www.ecotextile.com/2023102431325/materials-production-news/canopy-backs-next-gen-cellulosics-amid-investor-fears.html 

 

We call on all: do not wait on the sidelines. Step in with orders to drive the economies of scale and enable widespread adoption. We’re committed to continue to support innovative technologies on their journey to scale and team play with great allies, such as Canopy, to make fashion circular.
Katrin Ley
Managing Director at Fashion for Good

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