Evrnu Launches Recyclable Lyocell Material Made from Cotton Textile Waste

(Credit: Evrnu)

by | Apr 6, 2022

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(Credit: Evrnu)

Textile company Evrnu is launching what it says is the world’s first high performance, recyclable lyocell material made entirely from cotton textile waste. The cotton waste product, labeled 100% NuCycl r-lyocell, also enables the material to maintain full recyclability.

As the firm’s first commercially available material, Evrnu advanced an existing lyocell manufacturing method, traditionally used to process virgin wood, which it has utilized to quickly scale the chemical recycling solutions. This modular chemical and engineering platform separates most textile waste types into fibers that can directly replace 90% of those in the current textile market, including cotton, man-made cellulosic fibers, nylon, and polyester. 

Evrnu has raised $31 million to-date and is currently building a new facility in the southeast US to demonstrate its fiber regeneration technologies at commercial scale. This new facility will service 17,000 metric tons of pulp and 2,000 tons of fiber per year. 

The Global Fashion Agenda reports that the textile and fashion industry could use nearly total recyclable and renewable materials by 2030 if it invests in new technology and infrastructure, which could result in a significantly increased market share. It says if recycling initiatives are fully implemented it could result in a potential $4.5 billion growth across six major textile markets. Other companies have also made moves to use fiber made from recycled materials. Igloo has released its softside cooler collection woven with Repreve, a fiber created from recycled, post-consumer plastic bottles.

Other textile manufacturers focusing on sustainable measures include American lifestyle apparel company Kontoor Brands, maker of Lee and Wrangler denim, which just released its 2020 Sustainability Report detailing its progress and plans for water conservation and sustainable cotton, among other environmental measures. By deploying water-saving and recycling technologies, Kontoor has reduced water consumption by more than eight billion liters since 2008 and is on track to achieve its goal of saving 10 billion liters of water by 2025. 

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