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Waste Not: The Textile Recycling Revolution
145 Plays1 year ago
For this episode of the Green New Perspective podcast we’re thrilled to welcome Nora Eslander, Head of Communications and PR of Renewcell. Renewcell is a Swedish company dedicated to promoting sustainability and circularity in the fashion industry. Its innovative technology recycles textiles into a high-quality dissolving pulp called circulose that’s used to make more textiles. This is a huge step forward towards true sustainability in fashion. We talked to Nora about the challenge of implementing sustainable goals in fashion, the need to reduce waste and minimize the industry's environmental impact, and how Renewcell’s technology is helping to transform how we produce and consume clothing.
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Overview
00:00:13
Speaker
Hello friends, you're watching another episode of Green New Perspective podcast, a webcast series dedicated to sustainability. In today's episode, we're excited to have Nora Eslander, Head of Communications and PR at Renusel, a Swedish company that promotes sustainability and circularity within the fashion industry.
00:00:32
Speaker
They have developed an innovative technology that can recycle textiles and transform them into a high-quality bulb called circulars. This innovative process represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of more circular practices within the fashion industry. So, whether you're a fashion professional or someone who just cares about the environment, this episode is definitely for you. Tune in and join us as we explore the wonderful and exciting world of sustainable fashion.
Origin and Foundation of Renusel
00:01:02
Speaker
Hi, thank you so much for having me. It's really lovely having you. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of Renucel and how you got it started? Sure, yeah. Renucel was actually founded back in 2012 by some scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. They started to research about a process for how to
00:01:31
Speaker
recycled the cellulose in textiles. So they wanted to figure out a way to save the textile waste that everybody thought was waste, but they saw great potential in actually using it for something else. So that's that's how it started together with some entrepreneurs. They founded the company back in 2012. And then there's been many years of kind of research development up to the point where we're at today where we're commercial scale factory.
Innovative Recycling Technology Explained
00:01:59
Speaker
But can you explain the process behind renew sales technology? How does that work? Because I mean, it's an innovation. Yeah, we don't have much textile to textile recycling companies today in the world.
00:02:13
Speaker
No, unfortunately not, but we're getting there and the more is coming. But we knew so we have a specific technology or a process for how to recycle the cellulose in textiles. So that means we can take in cotton and viscose textile waste. And it goes through different steps in our process where it ends up as a dissolving pulp that we've chosen to call circulars.
00:02:40
Speaker
So circulars is basically pure cellulose and it's a raw material that you put back into the production of textile fibers and yarns and then it's spun into new fabric. So we're really just a raw material producer but instead of using cotton or trees to produce the material we use 100 textile waste instead.
00:03:05
Speaker
And how does your technology different from other textile recycling methods? Because, you know, recycling is always like, let's say equated with downcycling or, you know, like things like that, mechanical recycling or downcycling. So how does your process works?
00:03:29
Speaker
Yeah, sure. I mean, that's one of the keys to and the foundation for the company is that enabling of quality. So our process is built in a way where we're separating the fibers so that we don't shorten the length of the fibers. So usually when you have mechanical recycling of cotton, you shred the material mechanically. And that means that you're shortening the length of the fibers.
00:03:55
Speaker
And in turn, that will affect the end quality of the garment that you produce with those fibers. But what we do is you can say that we take it one step further and one step back because we're going back to the raw material of the pulp. And the way that we separate it chemically and mechanically is really the key here because it allows us to keep the same quality to the raw material.
Sourcing and Quality Standards
00:04:20
Speaker
which means that the next step, which is fiber production, is the exact same fiber so that there's no real difference. The only difference is the way that we produce the material for it. Great. And how do you collect the textile waste? Is it from another factory, like textile factories or from the citizens? Or both? Well, it's both, but we don't do any of the sorting ourselves.
00:04:47
Speaker
So we buy it pre-sorted, which means that we have to work with established sorting and collectors around the world that does that for us. So we currently source for 95% to 99% or 100% cotton. And then we can have a tolerance for a few percentages of other materials, if there's a couple of percentages of Ellis on in there, for example.
00:05:15
Speaker
So we buy it large volumes, we sign agreements with these collectors for volumes to come to secure that we have the field stock that we need now as for skaters.
Challenges in Scaling and Financing
00:05:29
Speaker
And how do you ensure that materials produced from recycled textile waste meet the high quality and safety standards?
00:05:39
Speaker
I mean, you could say, as I've been mentioning as well, that since we're this drop-in product where the rest of the supply chain is really the same, that means that the end product, the garment or the fabric, if you will, is the exact same. So there's no difference in that way.
00:06:02
Speaker
And that means that we don't really have to compromise on the quality of the end product. For example, when we did a project or a launch together with Livice, they did their 501s denim jeans.
00:06:19
Speaker
And they replaced part of the cotton with fibers made with circulars. And that goes to show that quality certification of if someone like Levi's with their legacy on quality and putting out their iconic 501s with circulars, there's really no excuse for anyone else to not do it.
00:06:41
Speaker
And what do you think are the biggest challenges that the renewal has faced in developing and scaling the technology? And do you think that you have overcome them or you have that like a long way to go?
00:06:55
Speaker
I mean, there's always going to be challenges in scaling technology and there's different phases throughout the scaling process that requires and has different challenges to it. I think one of the key points to where we're at today is that we went from lab scale to demonstration scale. So we built our pilot plant where we could produce at
00:07:23
Speaker
industrial scale and that step is a big one but once you've done that you have the proof of concept that you can actually produce at this scale and that means that the next steps are easier to take. So the challenges that we've had is of course to make sure that the technology holds at scale and how do you actually make sure that it's built for that.
00:07:47
Speaker
But then also the financing part of building a factory because obviously there's going to be physical production and you need to build up that factory. And that's very capital intensive, of course.
Industry Evolution and Collaboration
00:07:58
Speaker
How do you see your technology and the broader textile recycling industry evolving in the coming years? Like you said, is it available for scaling? Are the fashion companies interested in using aside from Levi's? I mean, that's a great incentive, but are fashion companies willing to collaborate with recycling centers and clean tech innovation companies?
00:08:28
Speaker
I mean, sure, I think there's a great demand from the brands and from the industry in general, and it's been increasing just in the last couple of years now, where pressure from regulations, pressure from the consumer is actually forcing the brands to make a change.
00:08:48
Speaker
But then again, you can come back to what kind of change are they making and on what scale, of course. And I think, I mean, there is a demand, but we also need to see it move from conversation and demand to actual implementation within these brands. So I think there's definitely potential in doing a lot more than they are doing today in difference.
00:09:13
Speaker
parts of it and I'm hoping for the future that the brand and the industry in general will start to take circularity more seriously than they have because it's not just a nice to have concept or something to think about, it's actually something we have to implement throughout the process because
00:09:37
Speaker
The fashion industry today is very focused on CO2 emissions and how we lower that, which is obviously a key point and something very, very important. But we're also missing out on the focus on
00:09:53
Speaker
natural resources and how we're exploiting them and how that affects ecosystems when it comes to land use and so on. And we don't really know what that kind of collapse will look like when it comes to this ecosystem that we're affecting, especially if you look at
00:10:10
Speaker
growing cotton or even the cutting down trees. So the deforestation that comes from producing viscose has a very, very high impact on the nature and the ecosystems, which is something that has kind of been on the side from the CO2 emission focus that we have. And
00:10:30
Speaker
I mean, that goes back to circularity and how we can use the other resources and natural resources when we produce, right? And that's something that I think and hope that we'll see a being more implemented and having a higher focus on that going forward. Yeah, fashion industry is also responsible for 20% of industrial water pollution.
00:10:51
Speaker
That's also a thing that they should actually do.
Transparency and Combating Greenwashing
00:10:55
Speaker
Exactly. That's a good point. It's not just about the CO2. It's about the water use. It's about the pesticides and how we're affecting that. I think that's something that we haven't focused on too much. We need to be able to keep two thoughts in our head at the same time, and not to say that something is less important, but to actually increase the focus on this as well.
00:11:20
Speaker
Because we see that, especially with polyester, you look at recycling of polyester and that's obviously a key point when it comes to circularity. But the microplastic and the pollution that that drives is still the same, even if you use recycled polyester. So those kind of, yeah, definitely the focus has to be a bit larger on different factors, not just the CO2 emissions.
00:11:43
Speaker
Yeah, but when you look, I mean, you're in PR, so I have to ask you this question. When you look at the fashion company, or how they're advertising their sustainability goals, it seems like everything is peachy, everything is great, everyone is sustainable. And since we're in the midst of greenwashing crackdown, how do you feel that your company is going to do with that? Like, do you think that it might be affected by the
00:12:13
Speaker
large amount of greenwashing happening in the fashion space? Yeah, it's obviously a very important and very current subject, the conversation around greenwashing. And it's becoming extremely counterproductive in many ways, I think, in the focus on the conversations that we have around this. But I mean, yeah, in general, of course, I think it all comes back to transparency, right? So
00:12:43
Speaker
If you can actually prove that you're doing something and what kind of impact that has and you can show the data for it, I think you're good to go in talking about it. But of course, you're not supposed to communicate something that you're not actually doing on a larger scale and so on.
00:13:00
Speaker
I mean, it's it goes both ways. We get, of course, a lot of comments around our partnerships with with larger brands. And I understand and I appreciate the pressure that we're putting on them from the consumers. But it's also important to understand that these are the guys that we need to be working with, because these are the brands that we need to change. Right. And they have such an impact on the industry, not just
00:13:26
Speaker
as producing companies and the impact they have on the environment but also their leaders within any space and they also have the financing to actually bring these technologies and solutions to markets in a different way than smaller brands can. So in that way they're a good kind of way to actually scale
00:13:46
Speaker
especially when it comes to these kind of technologies. So it's not to say that they're not facing challenges and that they shouldn't be held accountable for that or that the pressure should be on them for always being transparent with what it actually is that they're doing. But they also need to get credit that we need to encourage them to continue the journey of shifting their companies because otherwise
00:14:15
Speaker
this conversation around just blaming back and forth, it's going to take us longer time to get where we need to go.
Marketing and Consumer Influence
00:14:21
Speaker
And we don't really have that time anymore, unfortunately. But how do you communicate your mission and how do you deal with the public image of your brand, of Renusel?
00:14:33
Speaker
We launched our ingredient brand, so our product name, which is Circulos, back in 2019. And we did that to make it easier to communicate our products towards the market and towards the consumer. So it's a consumer-faced brand.
00:14:50
Speaker
Even if our direct customers are fiber manufacturers or yarn spinners, it's important for us to drive the demand throughout the supply chain by partnering with the brands and also by telling the story around circulars to the consumer so that the consumer in turn can actually
00:15:11
Speaker
demand and want the product. So, Circulos is all about creating a sustainable, well, sustainable circular brand that's desirable for designers to work with and use, for consumers to wear and talk about, because that's how fashion works, right? That's all about
00:15:32
Speaker
creating something that's sexy and interesting. And for a long time, sustainability has been very outside that box. And we're trying with circulars to make it a very simple story for anyone to understand, but also to make it something interesting to implement. And personally, I think we're coming to a point now where, or slowly coming to a point now where a lot of the people that are interested within
00:16:01
Speaker
sustainability or how we dress ourselves or what we eat and how we live, they're already there. So if we want to bring on more people and we want to reach the broader mass with what we're doing, and we want them to change behaviors,
00:16:18
Speaker
We need to also think about that and have empathy for the way that people think about stuff so that it's not forcing them but actually kind of communicating it or showing it or making it available.
00:16:33
Speaker
in a way that is more accessible to these people. So that's what we're trying to do with circulars, to make it as fashionable and desirable as possible, even if it's a dissolving pulp, which is something that no one really cares about in the end.
Future Projects and Partnerships
00:16:51
Speaker
Can you talk about new exciting projects or initiatives that you have in the works?
00:17:01
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we have a lot of things coming. It's funny because I always say that when we have a new colleague joining us, this is the best time to join the Renew. So there's so many interesting things happening. And then my colleague says, well, you've said this for three years now.
00:17:16
Speaker
But honestly, we have so much so much things happening within all spaces of the company. Everything from brand partnerships that is all about bringing circulars to market and to consumers to product developments and R&D within the company and our products to make sure that we can replace even more virgin materials that are out there.
00:17:43
Speaker
And then, of course, a lot of exciting kind of expansion plans for how we continue to scale our production and make sure that we can have an even larger impact. Finally, I just wanted to ask you one more question. How can we, like people, normal people, not companies, get involved with RenewSell and support you in your mission to create more sustainable textile industry?
00:18:11
Speaker
It's a good question. I mean, you can only buy circulars clothes from now on. But I mean, as a consumer, I think it's sometimes it's and you think that the way that you consume or what you do don't really make a difference because you're so small in comparison to the issues that we're facing.
00:18:33
Speaker
But what's encouraging for us and what we see that are really in the industry is that the large, large corporations, they're looking to the consumer. So if you want something and if you demand it, that's where they have to go. That's just how the market works. So I think it's important to, of course, look at how you consume and what you consume. But then, I mean,
00:18:56
Speaker
also social media engaging with us there and spreading the message because that's how we can also build our kind of foundation and platform to make sure that the brands that we want to work with acknowledge us.
Consumer Encouragement for Sustainable Choices
00:19:12
Speaker
Well, thank you, Nora. I hope that this has been interesting to everyone watching or listening. Yeah, again, thank you for taking your time and being on our podcast. And I wish you all the best in your mission to save the world, basically. Yeah, we'll do our best, but yeah. Bye, thank you. Thank you so much.
00:19:42
Speaker
Thank you for listening to Green New Perspective where we explore the latest developments in clean tech and nature tech. Join us next time as we continue to uncover innovative solutions for a sustainable future. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned to more episodes. Until next time, bye.