This list contains names and contact information for innovator companies that have a Canopy policy, and that have developed technologies and processes that enable the production of man-made cellulosic fibre (MMCF), viscose, paper, and packaging from fibres that are an alternative to wood-based feedstock. Canopy has crafted this directory as a tool to support purchasers of forest products in their search for Next Generation Solutions with a lower environmental footprint.
Legend
Commercially Available MMCF
Lenzing - Refibra™
Lenzing has developed and scaled REFIBRA™ technology which upcycles textile scraps from the garment industry and post-consumer recycled cotton waste into new TENCEL™ lyocell, which now features up to 30% recycled raw material content (some post-consumer cotton waste is mixed with pre-consumer cotton waste). Lenzing’s five-year vision is to raise the industry bar by producing fibers with REFIBRA™ technology by having up to 50% recycled content from post-consumer cotton waste to make textile waste recycling as common as paper recycling. Lenzing has a Dark Green Shirt in Canopy’s Hot Button Report.
Contact Lenzing - Refibra™
- Url: https://lenzing.com
- Email: fibers@lenzing.com
- Phone: +43 (0) 7672 701-0
Tangshan Sanyou - ReVisco
In 2019, Tangshan Sanyou, a viscose producer, became an early adopter of Next Generation MMCF solutions by introducing ReVisco, a viscose staple fibre made from 50% post-consumer recycled content dissolving pulp supplied by Renewcell. The company had to adapt their technology to successfully run the post-consumer recycled fibre. ReVisco was launched into the marketplace in 2020 with H&M’s Conscious Action series. Tangshan Sanyou is working with Canopy to eliminate Ancient and Endangered Forest fibre from their supply chain. As such, they achieved a green shirt ranking in 2019 Hot Button.
Contact Tangshan Sanyou - ReVisco
Birla Cellulose - Liva Reviva
The Liva Reviva line, by Birla Cellulose, is their circular viscose fibre line using 20% industrial fabric (pre-consumer cotton) waste. Their goal it to continue innovating in order to incorporate post-consumer textile waste into their process and increase the recycled content of the fibre to 50% by the end of 2020. Aditya Birla and Birla Cellulose are working with Canopy to eliminate Ancient and Endangered Forest fibre from their supply chain. As such, they achieved a green shirt ranking in 2019 Hot Button.
Contact Birla Cellulose - Liva Reviva
Yibin Grace
Yibin Hiest Fiber Limited Corporation (a subsidiary of Yibin Grace Group Co., LTD, based in China) has collaborated with Ekman and Renewcell to adopt Next Generation MMCF solutions by producing recycled cellulose filament yarn with 100% Circulose®️ pulp produced by Renewcell, which is made from 100% textile waste. For industrial production, Yibin is planning to achieve 30% Circulose®️ blending with 70% dissolving wood pulp for recycled cellulose filament yarn as a start. The goal is to increase the Circulose®️ percentage to 50-100% throughout the research and production process.
Yibin will continue focusing on reducing its carbon footprint and accelerating progress toward the ambitious goal of making fashion a closed loop.
Yibin will continue focusing on reducing its carbon footprint and accelerating progress toward the ambitious goal of making fashion a closed loop.
Contact Yibin Grace
- Url: https://www.cn-grace.com/
- Email: Janey@cn-grace.com
- Phone: +86 (0) 18784638513
Commercially Available MMCF Pulp
Renewcell - CIRCULOSE®
Renewcell is a technology company that was founded in January 2012 by a group of cellulose researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and a small investment company. The company has developed a new, patented, recycling process for turning cotton fabric waste and other cellulosic textiles (such as viscose) into viscose grade dissolving pulp, branded as CIRCULOSE®. CIRCULOSE® is a Next Gen material made of 100% recycled textile waste that is recyclable and is replacing virgin materials such as wood pulp and cotton. CIRCULOSE® is currently available at retail with leading apparel brands including H&M, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, GANNI, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Cos, Triarchy, and many others. In late 2022, Renewcell opened an industrial scale mill in Sundsvall, Sweden aptly named, Renewcell 1 that runs entirely on renewable energy and was awarded RCS 100 certification in June 2023. The facility is in ramp up mode, producing 60,000 mt of CIRCULOSE® by the end of 2023. Renewcell recently unveiled the CIRCULOSE® Supplier Network to build up the availability of its pulp in the market and is seeking additional, committed yarn spinners and textile mills to join.
Contact Renewcell - CIRCULOSE®
- Url: https://renewcell.com/
- Email: info@renewcell.com
Innovators — MMCF
Bast Fibre Technologies Inc.
Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. is a bast fibre engineering firm based in Canada that develops, manufactures and markets IP protected enhancements for hemp, flax and other bast fibres; and delivers these fibres to high-value consumer and industrial product markets. BFTi’s proprietary processes allow the transformation of annually renewable bast fibre feedstock from a variety of sources into high-performance, luxe-quality, eco-friendly (biodegradable, compostable, plastic/microplastic free) end products in the non-wovens market.
Contact Bast Fibre Technologies Inc.
- Url: https://bastfibretech.com/
- Email: info@bastfibretech.com
- Phone: 1.778.600.1242
Circ
Circ has a technology to recycle fibres using water as a solvent, making their tech one of the cleanest in the recycling industry and cost competitive with virgin materials. Circ has developed a textile recycling solution that makes high-grade dissolving pulp. This pulp can be made into viscose and Lyocell type fabrics. They can environmentally and economically process pure cotton fabric and poly-cotton blends, shifting the linear fashion system to a circular one. The technology can also recycle polyester or poly-cotton blends into the building blocks of virgin-grade polyester. Using their clean process, they reduce polyester to its monomers (terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol), which allows them to recover value from old apparel and textiles.
Contact Circ
- Url: https://circ.earth/
- Phone: 434-793-9100
Circular Systems
Circular Systems is a materials science company, focused on the development of innovative circular and regenerative technologies, transforming waste into valuable fibre, yarn, and textile fabrics for the fashion industry. Their waste-to-fibre platforms Texloop™ Recycling and Agraloop™ Bio-refinery, combined with their proprietary Orbital™ Hybrid Yarn technology, allow them to offer break-through solutions for the most efficient management of textile/apparel and agricultural waste streams.
Contact Circular Systems
Evrnu® - Nucycl®
Evrnu is an advanced materials company and inventor of the Nucycl technology. Our first product, Nucycl lyocell fiber, is made from 100% pre and postconsumer textile waste and is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. The Nucycl process can be used to recycle cotton and cotton/poly blends into new regenerative fiber, paving the path for a more sustainable textile industry.
Contact Evrnu® - Nucycl®
- Url: https://www.evrnu.com/
- Email: info@evrnu.com
- Phone: 206.466.5269
HeiQ AeoniQ GmbH
HeiQ AeoniQ™ is a cellulosic filament yarn, manufactured with an innovative proprietary process with a uniquely low environmental footprint. Using pre and postconsumer textile waste, non-valorized agricultural waste and bacteria cellulose as raw material, textiles made of HeiQ AeoniQ™ do not require agricultural land, pesticide, or fertilizer. The yarn can be recycled and is fully biodegradable (end of lifecycle). HeiQ AeoniQ™ yarn is designed for eternal circularity.
Contact HeiQ AeoniQ GmbH
- Url: https://www.heiq-aeoniq.com/
- Email: aeoniq@heiq.com
The Hurd Co. - Agrilose™
The Hurd Co., based in the USA, engineers man-made cellulosic fibre pulp from 100% agricultural waste. Agrilose™ is used to make lyocell or viscose/rayon fabric. The zero waste process uses half the water and 350 times less energy than conventional fibre pulp. Agrilose™ is a sustainable and tree-free product, but is the same quality and same price as tree pulp.
Contact The Hurd Co. - Agrilose™
- Url: https://thehurdco.com/
- Email: hello@thehurdco.com
IDEPS GmbH
IDEPS GmbH, is an Austria-based developer of innovative solutions for textiles. The company has patented a technology that allows efficient recycling of organic fabrics, separating fibers in mixed fabrics (polycotton), and bleaching without the use of harmful chemicals. Unlike other chemical recycling methods used, it does not contain enzymes and acids and does not require special conditions. It allows obtaining of cellulosic mass from old textiles without additional energy consumption.
Contact IDEPS GmbH
- Url: https://www.ideps.at
- Email: Oswald.brandstetter@ideps.at
- Phone: +43 6991 925 4274
Infinited Fiber Company - Infinna™
Infinited Fiber offers a closed-loop solution to the textile disposal problem. The technology transforms textile, cardboard and agricultural waste into new natural fibre – a hybrid-feel cotton-like textile fibre called Infinna™, which is biodegradable, contains no microplastics, and textiles made with it can be recycled in the same process. Backed by long-term research and open business attitude with two years of industrial piloting, Infinited Fiber is already combining forces with investors and fashion companies worldwide, by licensing their technology.
Contact Infinited Fiber Company - Infinna™
Nanollose - Nullarbor fibre
Nanollose, based in Australia, is a biotechnology company that is developing a process to repurpose liquid waste from food and beverage industries to produce microbial cellulose that is then regenerated into their Nullarbor fibre. The Nanollose technology has been designed to be compatible and implemented into existing manufacturing equipment that produces cellulosic based fibre. They have successfully made fibre, fabric and a garment using their technology and are focused on developing a supply chain ecosystem and initial commercial offerings.
Contact Nanollose - Nullarbor fibre
- Url: https://nanollose.com/
- Email: info@nanollose.com
- Phone: +61 8 9389 3120
Spinnova
Spinnova, based in Finland, and inspired by the way a spider makes its web, has developed a unique mechanical process to create textile fibre from agricultural fibres like wheat straw and other cellulose biomass with minimal water use, low C02 emissions and zero waste, while not using any harmful chemicals. And there is no dissolving or regeneration involved. The resulting spinning-ready fibre can also be upcycled again into new high-quality textiles in the Spinnova process without dissolving or harmful chemicals or adding fresh fibres. The company is seeking financing options to speed growth and scale.
Contact Spinnova
- Url: https://spinnova.com/
- Email: INFO@SPINNOVA.COM
Worn Again Technologies
Worn Again Technologies, based in the UK, is focussed on solving the challenging issue of converting polyester and polycotton blended textiles, and PET plastic, at their end of use, back into circular raw materials. Their advanced recycling technology is able to separate, decontaminate and extract polyester and cellulose (from cotton) from non-reusable textiles and polyester bottles and packaging to produce dual PET and cellulose outputs, therefore putting sustainable resources back into production supply chains. They have the support of leading brands and pioneering partners, such as H&M and Kering, as well as angel investor Craig Cohon, previously a senior executive of The Coca Cola Company and owner of Cirque du Soleil Russia.
Contact Worn Again Technologies
- Url: https://wornagain.co.uk/
- Email: info@wornagain.co.uk
- Phone: +44 (0)7549 168 616
Rubi
Rubi is creating a new way of manufacturing that exists in harmony with the planet. Inspired by how trees grow, the company uses biochemical processes powered by enzymes to turn industrial CO₂ emissions into drop-in cellulose pulp to replace trees as an input in man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) and textiles. Rubi was founded by two twin sisters and scientists, Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf, who grew up fascinated by nature, and ultimately teamed in 2021 to re-invent global supply chains with a proprietary biomanufacturing technology that is inherently planet positive. To learn more, visit www.rubi.earth.
Contact Rubi
- Url: https://www.rubi.earth/
- Email: hello@rubi.earth
Innovators — Paper & Packaging
9FIBER, INC
9FIBER is a disruptive, agro-tech company using eco-friendly patented technology to create sustainable, engineered, organic long and short fiber material inputs from hemp-derived agri-waste, thereby reducing/replacing petroleum and timber based materials in products across a wide range of markets.
Contact 9FIBER, INC
- Url: https://www.9fiber.com/about
- Email: info@9fiber.com
Craste
Craste, based in India, is working to scale the production of agricultural waste pulp for packaging products in order to address the pollution from crop burning. Craste’s packaging products are made from an innovative process that ensures less water consumption and Zero Level Discharge (ZLD) from the pulping unit.
Contact Craste
- Url: https://craste.co/contact/
- Email: ajith@craste.co
- Phone: +91 9538998384
Fibers365
Fibers365 GmbH, based in Germany, offers carbon-negative fibers and substrates for paper and packaging, using an exclusive, chemical-free pulping technology for straw and other cellulosic non-wood biomass, such as miscanthus, rye grass, hemp, flax, banana stems, tomato stems, bagasse, and grapevine stems. By focusing on annual plants, with all relevant biogenic emissions in production and consumption compensated within one year, Fibers365 provides a viable and ecological alternative to fibers from wood biomass, too often originating from deforestation, forest degradation, or monoculture wood plantations. Their decentralized concept allows for pulped biomass without producing chemical waste streams usually associated with sulfite and sulfate pulping; a way to close supply chain and circular nutrient loops at the farm level; and offers competitive pricing for the resulting pulp. They are seeking strategic partners for global rollout.
Contact Fibers365
- Url: https://fibers365.com/
- Email: sr@fibers365.com
- Phone: 49 170 90 20 164
Fiber-X
Fiber-X is a research and development production center in Finland focused on developing textile yarn, packaging and other products using agricultural residues, in order to mitigate the climate impacts of crop burning and extensive water consumption associated with cotton production. Fiber-X is looking for global partners to scale their next generation concepts.
Contact Fiber-X
- Url: http://www.fiber-x.fi/
- Email: mikko.ruuska@fiber-x.fi
- Phone: +358 45 328 2002
GreenKey LLC
GreenKey LLC is a technology company formed to advance the development of sustainable solutions for replacing products and packaging materials made from plastics and other high footprint sources with alternative cellulose fibers such as agricultural residues. Unlike conventional pulping operations, the GreenKey process requires no heat, no harsh chemicals, and eliminates effluent. GreenKey provides a lab to test their pulp in a variety of applications and can install their 'drop-in' technology and machinery at new or existing facilities.
Contact GreenKey LLC
- Url: http://greenkey-group.com/
- Email: jake.cahill@greenkey-group.com
- Phone: 561.398.8454
Nafici Environmental Research
Nafici Environmental Research, based in the UK, has developed and patented EcoPulping, an innovative low carbon process that converts wheat straw and other agricultural wastes into unbleached pulp for use in paper and packaging. EcoPulping uses much less energy and water than conventional pulping methods and is economic even at small scale. This means that production plants can be developed close to packaging mills, many of which are looking for cost competitive and sustainable alternative sources of fibre. NER is starting to license their technology and the first commercial EcoPulping plant is under construction in China. They have already tested wheat and rice straw, reed, date palm leaves, corn stover, cotton stems and more. Prior to licensing, they carry out feasibility studies in a UK pilot plant for clients who want to use new or similar raw materials, before designing an EcoPulping plant to meet their specific needs.
Contact Nafici Environmental Research
- Url: https://www.nafici-research.com/contact-us/
- Phone: +44 (0) 1444 400 476
Notpla
Notpla, based in Europe, is a sustainable packaging start-up creating advanced packaging solutions from seaweed and other natural materials as an alternative to single-use plastic. Their paper-based packaging solution blends seaweed residue from their production processes with recycled content.
Contact Notpla
- Url: https://www.notpla.com/
- Email: margaux@notpla.com
- Phone: +447810500230
PureHemp Technology LLC
PureHemp, a Colorado-based innovation company, is scaling up its advanced continuous countercurrent reactor (CCR) technologies that rapidly convert hemp stalks and other cellulosic biomass into pulp, lignin, and sugars to produce many biobased products. The primary product generated by PureHemp’s CCR is a cellulose-rich pulp used to manufacture a variety of paper products. The company business model emphasizes value-added agriculture, whole plant utilization, and rapid biorefinery scale-up and deployment. The company has also developed a decortication technology and is actively involved with manufacturing products from hemp hurd and bast fiber, including hempcrete, biochar, graphite and graphene.
Contact PureHemp Technology LLC
- Url: https://purehemptech.com/
- Email: Ed@purehemptech.com
- Phone: 303-857-4530
Releaf Technologies
Releaf Technologies is a research and cellulose production enterprise in the Ukraine that is creating and scaling a low footprint and low water use pulping technology designed to process urban wastes (fallen leaves) and agricultural fibres into pulp for paper and packaging. They plan to have the technology available to scale on each major continent.
Contact Releaf Technologies
- Url: https://releaf-paper.com/contacts
- Email: info@releaf-paper.com
- Phone: +38 096 150 0651
ReStalk
ReStalk is a US-based startup implementing regenerative solutions by transforming agricultural residues into valuable pulp and packaging products, while offering a better alternative to burning or disposing of bio-waste in a landfill. ReStalk has aligned its efforts with larger scale cultivators, businesses, local, state, and federal officials to implement their vision of a greener hemp industry. The patented pulp process employed uses a fraction of the water and none of the toxic chemicals associated with traditional pulping.
Contact ReStalk
- Url: https://www.restalk.org
- Email: info@restalk.org
Tensei
Tensei is a R&D materials company, focusing on helping businesses to develop new products primarily from annual crop waste and perennial plants. Tensei has the necessary tools and partners to take a seed idea and enable it to get to market through a fibre supply chain that has been specifically developed for this purpose. Diverse products developed to date from alternative agricultural fibres include specialty papers and food packaging. Furthermore, Tensei is working with companies to help them to generate value from their own bio-waste streams which in turn could also be added into Tensei pulp fibre supply chain.
Contact Tensei
- Url: http://www.tensei.co.uk/
- Email: info@tensei.co.uk
Innovators – Feedstock Processing
BastCore
BastCore, based in the USA, has been innovating and tailoring a patented hemp processing technology for decortication and wet processing/degumming for the bast and hurd while expanding the use-cases for the full hemp plant, that provides a sustainability benefit to producers in the textile (woven, and non-woven) industry.
Contact BastCore
- Url: https://bastcore.com/
- Email: austin@bastcore.com
- Phone: 205-332-1484
RBX Creations – Iroony
RBX Créations, based in France, has created a patented technology to obtain Iroony® pulp from agricultural feedstocks, in particular hemp and flax, which is suitable for applications in textile fibres and packaging materials.
Contact RBX Creations – Iroony
- Url: https://www.iroony.net/
- Email: anne.reboux@iroony.net
- Phone: +33651345529
If your company has an innovative, low-footprint technology that provides a recycled or forest-free alternative for dissolving pulp, viscose or rayon, or forest-free alternative for paper and packaging, contact Canopy to join our cadre of Next Generation Solution providers. nextgensolutions@canopyplanet.org
Updated October 2022
