Christian Siriano has never played by the archaic fashion rules. The designer has long championed size inclusion in his collections despite the industry standards lagging slowly behind. This season, he’s added another innovation to his collection with Circ. Two looks in his RTW Spring 2025 show were made entirely with Circ Lyocell, a recycled textile that had the look and feel of silk.

“I’ve never actually used a fully sustainable fabrication, and I felt like it was really needed,” Siriano told Teen Vogue in an exclusive backstage interview about the partnership. “I think what I did with it was try to show how it can feel luxurious and feel evening-like and elegant. And it’s not just for day wear. I think sometimes when people think of recycled fabric they don’t think of evening.”

Circ is a technology system that takes textile waste and turns it back into raw materials to be used again. The technology has never been part of New York Fashion Week before, but its appearance couldn’t come soon enough. As textile recycling is complicated by so many factories, especially considering the fact that it’s expensive and many textiles are blends, most brands have very slowly, if at all, used it. More, many brands still haven’t begun to address the dire need for circularity in fashion. We are after all, in another fashion month where hundreds of garments are being sent down runways around the world. The industry produces tons of clothing every year and much of it ends up in landfill or in the Global South.

“We are a no-waste brand. We don’t overproduce. We don’t make 10,000 units of something. I just thought [it] was a really interesting take on it,” Siriano explained about his brand philosophy. “And the fabric’s really pretty, so that helps.”

In the collection, two pieces used the lyocell — a full-length black trench coat and a pants and bra look. They were nearly indistinguishable from the other fabrics used. “I know a lot about fabrics,” the designer and Project Runway mentor says. “I’ve been working with fabrics for mills for my whole career. I’m pretty good at fabrication, and I’d never worked with anything like this. So that I think was more exciting for me. I think that was why I thought it was a cool project, whether it was eco or not. The process is kind of cool, and now, I want to help and see what else we could do together.”

While Siriano is known to push boundaries, eco-friendly fashion isn’t necessarily the first one to come to mind. It’s something he actively wants to address, especially because inclusion goes hand and hand with sustainability.

“We do not need thousands of clothes, we don’t need 30 sweaters stacked on a table. I think that’s done,” Siriano concludes. “I think people are investing in clothes like mine that are a bit more, yes, they’re special. Yes, they’re unique, and they wear them for the rest of their lives.

The post Christian Siriano Sent Textile Waste Down the Runway at New York Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2025 appeared first on Circ.

Circ announces the launch of their second capsule collection with clothing manufacturer Zara, completely made from Circ Lyocell.

The full article is paywalled, but can be accessed here

• This collection builds on Circ’s goal of making circular materials accessible to the mass market, emphasizing affordability and scalability in sustainable fashion. 
• The new collection is visually stunning, showcasing that sustainable clothing doesn’t compromise design.
• This collection also marks Circ’s expansion in its production capacity as it begins to look for a new factory location, exploring European and Asian sites.
• “In these collaborations, I talk about distilling the science and technology into this beautiful [clothing], but it does even more than that. It helps align all parts of that ecosystem in a very simple visual way to realize, OK, this solution is ready. Now we can come together and make this scale.” – Peter Majeranowski, CEO 

The post Circ Launches Second Collab With Zara — and Why It Matters appeared first on Circ.

Today, Zara, in collaboration with Circ®, a US-based fashion technology company that recycles textile waste back into new fibers,revealed the latest Zara Women’s collection made with Circ Lyocell, achieving the look and feel of silk, with fibers derived from 50% recycled textile waste.

This follows Zara and Circ’s first collection, launched in April 2023, which marked the use of garments made with recycled polyester and lyocell. The collection features four pieces, each made from fabric using only 100% Circ Lyocell . The Zara team designed the garments to showcase clean, minimalist silhouettes, with a natural look and feel, a testament to how Circ materials can be used to create elevated and timeless designs. The new collection will be available on August 15 in the US and other selected markets.

Breaking down blends of polyester and cotton – referred to as “polycotton” – was once a significant roadblock to creating recycled raw materials to make new garments. Circ’s innovative recycling technology provides a solution, as the only in-market platform to successfully separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibers. Now, the major challenge at hand is scaling up these innovative technologies to accelerate circularity across the entire fashion industry, which will require industry-wide collaboration and investment. Partnerships like Zara and Circ’s ongoing collaboration, which started with an investment in 2023 from Zara’s parent, Inditex, mark another step forward in driving the scalability of sustainable solutions for the fashion industry.

“For us, success is when circularity is the default, with no compromise on quality or design,” said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. “Our latest collection with Zara builds on our goal of creating a model for widespread adoption of sustainable materials. This partnership also reinforces the long-term potential of Circ and Inditex to work together to improve product circularity for the fashion industry, while demonstrating Circ’s product quality.”

ABOUT ZARA AND INDITEX

Zara is part of Inditex, a global fashion retail group, also parent company of Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home. Zara´s story begins with the opening of its first store in the Spanish coastal city of A Coruña in 1975 and its collections are currently available over an integrated platform of stores and online in more than 200 markets. Focused on constant innovation, Zara offers fashion-forward products for women, men and kids via a business model that places the customer at the center of everything we do. Zara and Inditex are committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2040.

ABOUT CIRC

Circ is on a mission to power the clean closet with patented technology that recycles global fashion waste back into textiles.

Circ is protecting our planet by reducing the need and demand for petroleum, trees, and other materials harvested from nature to manufacture clothes. Circ is building a truly circular economy for the fashion industry. To ease the way for recycled fibers, Circ operates Circ-Ready, a select community of global supply-chain partners with a demonstrated ability to utilize Circ materials.

Headquartered in Danville, Virginia, a former epicenter of textile production in the United States, Circ is an Earthshot Prize Finalist and a Certified B Corporation revitalizing the future of material technology and manufacturing. To learn more about Circ, visit www.circ.earth.

The post ZARA AND CIRC CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW COLLECTION MADE FROM RECYCLED POLYCOTTON BLENDED TEXTILES appeared first on Circ.

Featuring global supply chain partners with the demonstrated ability to utilize Circ materials, including AGI Denim, MAS Holdings, Selenis, Pyratex, Giotex, etc.

Danville, Virginia (June 20, 2024) — Circ®, a US-based textile-to-textile recycling innovator, announced the launch of Circ®-Ready, an exclusive community of global supply-chain partners who have demonstrated their ability to make high-quality, better-for-the-planet solutions for fashion brands using Circ materials. The inaugural Circ-Ready partners include AGI Denim, Foshan Chicley Textile Co., Ltd., Giotex, Marubeni Corporation, MAS Holdings, PYRATEX®, Selenis, SHINJINTEX, Soorty Denimkind, Tainan Spinning Co., Ltd., and Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI). 

Consisting of processors, manufacturers, and other vital industry players across tiers 1-4, each Circ-Ready partner has undergone a testing process to replace virgin inputs with Circ’s products, proving the ability to utilize Circ products in their existing operations and produce premium materials as a result. Being a member of the Circ-Ready community provides partners the opportunity to work with pilot-stage Circ products, receive ongoing support from Circ’s technical experts, and be among the first recommended by Circ when brands and partners seek to utilize Circ material. 

“Being able to announce Circ-Ready with such a robust and well-rounded group of partners is transformational for our next stage of growth,” Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. “It also speaks to the positive shift taking place within the fashion industry. As consumers demand better sustainable fashion options, and brands and retailers make public commitments to source more recycled and next-gen materials, manufacturers who proactively choose to operationalize the use of Circ’s recycled material have an advantage. Having experience producing top quality products from Circ materials and access to recycled products creates a competitive edge over others who are slow to adopt recycled materials.” 

The Circ-Ready community is a selected group of partners who have a proven positive track record and commitment to working with Circ recycled products and have been individually evaluated for industry success. Circ-Ready partners work alongside the Circ team of experts to adequately test and utilize Circ fibers, exceeding quality standards from end to end. To promote transparency and ensure the integrity of Circ products, each Circ-Ready partner provides a commitment to relevant best-in-class certifications for recycled products.

Circ is the leader in blended textile-to-textile recycling, a known challenge for the industry. Each year, tens of millions of tons of polycotton textile waste is landfilled or burned because existing recycling solutions cannot separate the plastic from the natural fiber and recover both materials. Circ’s innovative recycling technology is the only platform to successfully separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibers. Circ’s primary fiber outputs are regenerated Circ Lyocell and Circ Polyester from textile waste. 

As Circ begins to implement its transformational technology, it is inviting partners that demonstrate product quality, reinforce its mission, and embrace the changing state of the fashion industry with creativity and enthusiasm. To submit an inquiry about the Circ-Ready program, visit www.circ.earth/circ-ready. 

FROM THE CIRC-READY COMMUNITY  

____________________________________________________________________________

Henry Wong, VP, Product Development & Marketing at AGI Denim:

“We are thrilled to lead the charge with Circ-Ready. Circ represents the next generation of solutions addressing fashion’s biggest challenges, including microplastic pollution and circularity. By championing technologies like Circ, AGI Denim aims to connect raw materials to final products, maximizing the potential for scalable innovation.”

Victor Li, General Manager at Foshan Chicley Textile Co.,: 

“We expect recycled material from finished garments to become a popular trend in the next 5-10 years. So, it is exciting that Chicley can join the transition and be part of this production chain, putting us in a position to stay ahead of this revolutionary fashion era. Also, through Circ, we can contribute to protecting the earth from the cost of clothing.”

“Nowadays, the textile industry is fierce with competition. We are all working hard to upgrade and differentiate our products. Joining the Circ-Ready community helps position us as industry leaders and ensures  valuable support to begin producing products with Circ fibers.”

“Production chain is important to a company, and now many companies struggle to find collaborative suppliers. Circ-Ready provides a solution by enabling a good production chain that ensures high-quality products are produced.”

Giorgio Dissegna, President at Giotex:

“Giotex is the premier producer of certified textile-to-textile recycled cotton in the Americas.  Integrating Circ’s rPET and rMMCF fibers into our suite of sustainable yarns and fabrics will offer apparel brands the strongest circular-textile solution available in the market.”

“The Circ-Ready platform will create the critical industry links needed to help lower our sector’s carbon footprint.”

Kazuyoshi Hosoi, General Manager of Rubber & Industrial Materials Department at Marubeni Corporation: 

“We are pleased to be invited to join the Circ-Ready community and the opportunity it affords us to stimulate sustainable business. We value Circ-Ready for enhancing awareness of Circ’s technology to consumers and wish great success of the campaign.”

Nemanthie Kooragamage, Director, Group Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings: 

“What we are most excited about is that Circ provides a holistic solution for our polycotton blended waste, keeping both materials in use. It also unlocks further opportunities to realize the versatility of circular man-made cellulosic materials. Because we believe the current textile value chain and processes need to be redefined to be planet and people positive, we hope that partnering with Circ can be a strong and meaningful step in that journey.”

“Brands need to see product in the form that they buy it and we believe initiatives like Circ-Ready have the potential to drive conversion.”

Regina Polanco, Founder and CEO of Pyratex: : 

“We are proud to be a Circ-Ready partner and to be part of the community around this circular solution.”

“Circ-Ready will make it easier for Fashion Brands to connect with the right member, regardless of the product that they are sourcing. We are excited to bring our clients, which are Fashion Brands, high-quality knit fabrics and garments made with Circ’s next-gen fibers, all produced through our certified and local supply chain in Europe and in Mexico.”

Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis: 

“The Circ-Ready community is a unique tool that allows partners across the textile-to-textile value chain to stay connected, have a preferential choice in quality chemical recycled products, and accelerate circularity.”

“The connection and visibility that Circ-Ready can trigger with bigger brand owners who understand chemically recycled PET from Selenis—that uses TPA from Circ—will be key for a more sustainable fashion industry. Circ-Ready also allows for chemical recycled products to have consistent quality and traceability across the value chain.”

YK Youn, President at SHINJINTEX

“As a mill specializing in natural fiber with a special interest in sustainable, regenerative fibers, we believe being a part of the Circ-Ready community will help us gain access to even greater opportunities.”

“Currently, there are millions of tons of clothing waste in the world. Recycling and upcycling are vital components of reducing our waste footprint and ensuring a clean earth for the next generation. That is why we think solutions like Circ are so valuable. To be able to fully textile-to-textile recycle polycotton is nothing short of a miracle. And these are the kinds of work that align with our company values.” 

Asad Soorty, Director at Soorty Denimkind:

“The fashion industry is desperate for change, and it seems like Circ is the answer to its cry for help. Circ has cracked the toughest part of the circular case puzzling innovators worldwide – separating poly cotton blends. It’s almost as if Circ has unlocked a cheat code. We’re Circ-Ready and eagerly awaiting to take this technology to scale”.

Lin, Wei-hsiang, Section Chief of Department of Raw Materials and Fibers at TTRI: 

“TTRI is the top textile research institute in Taiwan, with the goal of becoming a global leader in advanced textile technology, testing and verification, and industry information development services. Collaborating with Circ can strengthen TTRI’s connections with international institutions and enhance the institute’s reputation.”

The post Circ Launches Circ-Ready Community to Scale Adoption of Circ Materials appeared first on Circ.

Portalegre, Portugal and Danville, Virginia (June 11, 2024) – Selenis has successfully produced recycled PET chips from terephthalic acid provided by Circ®, a Virginia-based textile-to-textile recycler. The chip was produced via a multiple-batch campaign at Selenis’ pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. Using inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, the high-quality PET chip has been transformed into DTY yarn and will be used in product development as Circ builds additional capsule launches. Selenis is building on the success of this initial phase of collaboration by committing to work toward an offtake partnership in support of Circ’s first industrial facility.

“The monomer synthesis performed similarly to virgin terephthalic acid,” said Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis. “These results are a promising indication of the consistent quality of Circ’s monomer output and future commercial success. As this partnership with Circ aligns with our mission and sustainability goals in the textile world, we look forward to building upon this work and supporting Circ’s commercial production trials in the future.”  

Selenis, a global supplier of high-quality, innovative, and sustainable specialty polyester solutions for diverse applications, is a subsidiary of the IMG Group, a multinational with sixty-five years of experience in the industry. The collaboration with Circ reinforces Selenis’ sustainable mission, which relies on employing the company’s profound knowledge of polymers, formulations, and processing, to partner with customers in developing eco-friendly solutions and commitment to creating opportunities. Highly focused on sustainability, this current endeavor with Circ is enabling Selenis to develop products with PTA using recovered terephthalic acid from Circ and bio-monoethylene glycol (Bio-MEG) from second-generation biobased sources. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate plastic waste, reduce carbon footprint, and conserve valuable resources by enabling the transformation of waste into new, high-quality products, over and over again.

“By working with the Selenis strategic and pilot plant manufacturing teams, we demonstrated the quality of Circ monomers and confirmed its performance as a like-for-like replacement of virgin monomers in synthesizing rPET from blended textile waste,” said Kaushik Vashee, SVP of Manufacturing at Circ. “The Selenis teams’ commitment to realizing the pilot trials has been instrumental in demonstrating the value of our recycled monomers.” 

Circ is the leader in blended textile-to-textile recycling, a known challenge for the industry. Each year, tens of millions of tons of polycotton textile waste is landfilled or burned because existing recycling solutions cannot separate the plastic from the natural fiber and recover both materials. Circ’s innovative recycling technology is the only platform to successfully separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibers. As Circ begins to implement its transformational technology, it is seeking partners that demonstrate product quality, reinforce its mission, and embrace the change with creativity and enthusiasm.

ABOUT SELENIS 

__________________________________________________________________________

Selenis is a supplier of sustainable, high-quality, innovative specialty polyester solutions for diverse applications. Their mission relies on building the path to a greener and waste-free future, navigating along three avenues: recycled, recyclable and bio-based resins. Selenis is a global business with production sites in Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, and the USA. Their production facilities have batch and continuous units, including SSP capacity across all regions, allowing for a production of a wide range of polymers that meet highly technical market requirements. Their production configurations provide Selenis the flexibility to produce both amorphous and crystallized products, as well as modified products on the acid and the glycol side.

Committed to playing a role in society’s collective response to the plastic waste challenge, Selenis creates partnerships across the value chain to create long-term solutions. Highly focused on sustainability, Selenis centers their innovation in developing resins with up to 70% of chemically recycled content, bio-based and solutions that are fully recyclable in the PET stream. Their progress in molecular recycling turns waste into the building blocks of their specialty resins, contributing to the fight against climate change. Selenis and their sister company, Evertis, are members of the IMG group, an international business headquartered in Portugal with operations around the world. Their businesses have been pioneers in the polymers industry since 1959.

The post Selenis Makes High-Quality rPET from Circ’s Recovered Terephthalic Acid appeared first on Circ.

CIRC ANNOUNCED A NEW INVESTMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH TAIWAN’S FAR EASTERN GROUP THIS WEEK.

Virginia-based textile-to-textile innovator Circ is scaling up with the help of a new offshore partner.

The Danville operation—which touts a proprietary chemical process that reclaims polyester and cellulose from discarded poly-cotton blended textiles announced a new investment from Drive Catalyst, the venture capital division of Taiwan’s Far Eastern Group, a leading virgin and recycled polyester producer.

Read the full story at Sourcing Journal (subscription required)

The post Textile-to-Textile Recycler Circ Announces Partnership with Taiwanese Polyester Producer appeared first on Circ.

From left to right: Juliana Pidner Hsu, Managing Director of Drive Catalyst; Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ

Taipei, Taiwan and Danville, Virginia (May 28, 2024) – Drive Catalyst, the venture capital arm of the Taiwanese conglomerate Far Eastern Group—one of the world’s largest producers of both virgin and recycled polyester—has invested in Circ®, a US-based textile-to-textile recycler. This investment is set to propel the textiles industry towards circularity by facilitating the production of high-quality Circ Polyester, which utilizes chemical building blocks derived from recycled polycotton textile waste. 

By combining Far Eastern’s world-class manufacturing capabilities with Circ’s pioneering technology in textile-to-textile recycling, this partnership is uniquely positioned to help scale the manufacturing of textile-to-textile recycled polyester. Through the company’s investment in Circ, Far Eastern aims to promote a significant change in the industry, bringing in over 70 years of textile supply chain unique end-to-end service to this sector toward a closed-loop alternative. 

Far Eastern’s support will enable Circ to address the challenges of scaling up production to meet the demands of large fashion brands and their customers. The fashion industry is transforming towards more sustainable practices, with brands and consumers seeking alternatives to traditional materials. Circ’s closed-loop alternative offers a compelling solution, and by leveraging Far Eastern’s industry expertise, Circ can deliver on the promise of sustainability at scale.

“It is crucial that leaders in the polyester supply chain, like ourselves, set an example by establishing a foundation for collaborative models,” states Juliana Pidner Hsu, Managing Director of Drive Catalyst. “We are deeply committed to the circular economy and believe that textile-to-textile recycling will play a pivotal role in decarbonizing raw materials. Our dedication to supporting innovative solutions aligns with our customers’ strong demand for sustainable fashion. To drive significant systemic changes may take time and require collaboration. With Circ’s high-quality materials and the growth potential of its technology, we believe this partnership is a meaningful step towards scaling circularity.”

Integrating Circ’s recovered monomers from recycled textile waste into Far Eastern’s production infrastructure could represent a significant advancement towards a circular economy in the textile industry. This move would reduce reliance on virgin resources and minimize waste by diverting end-of-life textiles from landfills. The collaboration is a testament to both companies’ commitment to driving positive change in the industry and meeting the demands of environmentally conscious consumers.

“Funding is just one factor when introducing innovation to an industry as old and established as textiles,” said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. “We seek mission-aligned partners with wide-reaching expertise because no portion of the industry works in a silo. Far Eastern Group’s support not only speaks to the integrity of our polyester but will enable the acceleration of Circ Polyester from recycled textile waste and play an instrumental role as we work towards launching Circ’s first commercial facility.” 

The post Far Eastern Group and Circ Partner to Drive Circularity at Scale   appeared first on Circ.

UNIDO, H&M Group, Circ, and Intellecap, collaborate on a pilot to explore bringing blended textile recycling solutions to Bangladesh.

The SWITCH2CE (“Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains”) pilot on building local capacity for blended textile waste recycling in Bangladesh recently brought together key stakeholders in Dhaka. The delegation included representatives from pilot partners H&M Group and Intellecap, textile recycling innovator Circ, and UNIDO. Parties contributed to the program’s broader goal of exploring opportunities to establish a textile-to-textile chemical recycling plant in Bangladesh. 

The pilot is part of the global UNIDO-led SWITCH2CE  project, co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, which supports micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in critically important value chains to adopt circular economy practices that can help support the growth of the economy in a manner that is environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and creates decent jobs. 

The SWITCH2CE-H&M pilot in Bangladesh is working on setting up a system to sort and recycle blended textile waste. This involves finding, testing, and scaling innovative solutions to turn this waste into new materials for textiles. The pilot also aims to create an enabling ecosystem for collecting blended textile waste from different factories at high-capacity automated sorting and separation centers within Bangladesh and build the capacity of local suppliers to sort and recycle this waste. This pilot will assist H&M Group’s suppliers in making the switch towards circularity by supporting them in addressing the technical and financial challenges associated with adopting new and innovative circular economy practices.

Discussions during the visit centered around leveraging local expertise to develop effective pathways from textile waste to recycled products that are specifically tailored to the needs of Bangladesh. 

“SWITCH2CE serves as an enabler of circular alliances between EU multinationals, their suppliers in developing countries, target country governments, and the EU to trigger and support the transition to circularity,” said Mark Draeck, SWITCH2CE Chief Technical Advisor, UNIDO. “EU circular policies have implications across global value chains, both upstream and downstream. Advancing local circular capacities of Bangladeshi suppliers strengthens their competitiveness in global textile value chains, creates business opportunities and new green jobs, while also benefiting the environment and increasing resource efficiency.”

Project delegates had the opportunity to visit the facilities of Fakir Knitwear and DBL Group, two prominent players in the textile industry and also part of H&M Group’s local network of suppliers and recyclers in Bangladesh, underscoring the project’s commitment to harnessing collective knowledge for the transformation of the textile recycling industry. Furthermore, meetings with key players in the waste aggregation space provided valuable insights into market dynamics and opportunities for collaboration as the project scales.

“At H&M Group, we’re committed to reducing our dependence on virgin materials, achieving more with less and building a circular ecosystem to keep products and materials circulating at their highest value. Where waste is generated in our supply chains, we view it as a resource and aim to circulate it back into our products. To achieve this, we are actively building a recycling ecosystem for efficient waste management and a recycling network across production markets. We acknowledge, that the recycling sectors in our primary production markets are still emerging and today, recycling ecosystems are highly underdeveloped. Our industry still has a long way to go and we recognize the need for a systemic change.  To address these issues in Bangladesh, we are collaborating with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and support their “SWITCH to circular economy value chains” project.” – H&M Group shared. 

Venkat Kotamaraju, Partner & Director, Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF), An Intellecap initiative added: “We are truly delighted to be partnering with UNIDO, H&M Group and its supplier partners in this endeavor to keep materials in the economy within Bangladesh’s RMG sector. For us, intent is prime.  And we are glad to have H&M as a partner that has demonstrated intent right from the get-go. In our endeavor to build the indigenous capacities and capabilities within Bangladesh, the potential Circ has to offer will be game-changing. It’s a rarity to have all partners backing intent with a bias for action.”

“Textile recycling is complex and no single entity can create an effective solution overnight,” continued Peter Majeranowski, CEO, Circ. “The SWITCH2CE program is leaning into collaboration by bringing together important partners like H&M Group, Intellecap, and UNIDO to move the needle meaningfully, and we’re pleased to bring an innovators’ lens to such an influential group.  Our visit to Dhaka allowed us to strengthen these partnerships and our knowledge of the region to collectively advance initiatives towards blended textile recycling.”
 

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Albeit often overlooked in conversations about pollution, the fashion industry contributes more to global carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Awareness of the need for sustainability and circularity in the textile industry has never been higher or the timing more urgent.

The beginning of the XXI century brought great changes in consumption patterns and the fashion industry offers a prime example of this with the number of garments purchased per capita shooting up 60% in 2014 in comparison with 2000, while items get disposed of twice as fast. Today, this translates into a garbage truck’s worth of textiles being dumped in a landfill or incinerated every second. If this tendency remains, a data extrapolation from the World Resources Institute shows that, among other indicators, the fashion industry’s greenhouse emissions will increase 50% by 2030.

The time to act is now. 

The largest portion of the environmental footprint left by producing new clothes comes from its need for raw materials – with cotton and polyester being the most widely produced fibers globally. Cotton production uses 3.3 million acres of land and six billion cubic meters of water annually while polyester production requires the use of 70 million barrels of oil each year and generates up to three times more carbon emissions than cotton.

“We’ve pioneered technology that returns polycotton waste back to the raw materials from which it was made, so fashion brands can reuse fibers and reduce harm to the Earth in the process.”

Luke Henning,Chief Business Officer at Circ

Undeniably, clothing makers need to transform their business models and their approach to materials now. Many companies have started acting, joining initiatives to use more sustainable and circular fibers, nonetheless, there is an urgent need to close the loop by recycling all kinds of textile fibers into virgin-like material to make new clothes. 

Passion attracts Passion.

Up until now, an effective recycling of textile fibers had not been possible. But Circ, our American customer and innovator in the field of textile recycling, is pioneering this space with a patented hydrothermal process that returns discarded clothing made of cotton, polyester and polycotton back into raw materials for new clothing production.
“Solve Big Problems” – is one of Circ’s principles to operate by and that is why, when it came to choosing a partner for the complex process that is textile recycling, they chose GEA for the monomer recovery process part. 
To exactly meet its targets in monomer recovery and co-product treatment, Circ is working with GEA because of our decades-long expertise in evaporation, crystallization, heat transfer, mixing, solid/liquid separation, distillation and drying -all with the goal of producing PET chips out of discarded garments to use them for producing new clothes.

“Circ’s team was just as passionate as us when it came to developing the perfect plant, the energy was such, that the relation turned into a partnership.”

Laurent Palierne, Director Evaporation & Crystallization at GEA

For Circ’s unique plant design, GEA made use of all its garnered experience in process design and took it several steps further with a new design space for crystallization – an especially challenging stage due to the high temperature and pressure requirements as well as the rheological behavior of the handled slurry. 
Tackling one of the most pressing issues of our time, as it is reducing waste and bringing circularity to an industry that has struggled with achieving it in the past, was the engine that kept GEA expert engineers motivated throughout this challenging project. Three different GEA locations in two different countries (France and Germany) were involved -all concentrated on the same objective: delivering to Circ’s exact specifications with the highest quality and the optimal energetic and economic value.

“Working with the GEA engineering team at their design offices in France has been a pleasure. The GEA design team is willing to communicate promptly and is highly flexible in overcoming design challenges. We look forward to continuing working with GEA on further process design development, which will enable Circ to successfully execute the first 100% poly-cotton textile recycling facility of its kind worldwide.” 

Farid Ghaderi, SVP Engineering at Circ

Working alongside Circ at the core of such a groundbreaking project that could very well change the course of a whole industry makes us incredibly proud and aware of the power that excellent engineering has, to turn into reality things that not long ago seemed unlikely. We warmly congratulate Circ for its achievements and look forward to keep on working together, engineering for a better world.

The post GEA supports Circ towards resource-efficient fashion:a trend that won’t go out of style. appeared first on Circ.

Circ’s pioneering technology makes it one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in fashion.

Only 8% of all textiles are recycled; the rest end up in landfills. Recycling textiles back into textiles, the way we recycle aluminum cans, has been an industry goal for decades. It would allow brands to stop extracting raw materials from the earth and, by extension, slash their carbon footprint.

Many startups are working on recycling technology, but 10-year-old Virginia-based Circ stands out for pioneering technology that can recover the original materials used in polycotton blended fabrics. These are the most common materials used in the fashion industry, and they normally takes two centuries to biodegrade. Circ can transform these fibers back into new fibers over and over again. This year, brands across the spectrum—from designer labels like Mara Hoffman to fast-fashion brands like Zara—collaborated with Circ to create collections using these regenerated fibers.

Circ is poised to scale quickly. This year, it landed $25 million in capital, bringing its total funding to $72 million (from backers that include Inditex and Patagonia’s VC fund), allowing it to build an industrial-size factory. Already, it recycles thousands of pounds of textile waste, but it will increase its capacity to 66,140 tons annually in the next three years. By 2030, it will quintuple this capacity to 330,700 tons, making it the biggest U.S. player in textile recycling. 

Explore the full 2024 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, 606 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. We’ve selected the firms making the biggest impact across 58 categories, including advertising, artificial intelligence, design, sustainability, and more.

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