H&M Conscious becomes first retail collection to feature Circulose®, made from recycled clothes

H&M Conscious, the dedicated eco line from the global fashion giant, is the first retail collection to feature Circulose®, a breakthrough material made from recycled clothes.

The SS20 Conscious Exclusive collection, which launches on 26 March, will feature a jacquard weave day dress made of 50% Circulose recycled from used cotton jeans, and 50% FSC-certified wood.

Priced at £99 the blue ruffled dress will be sold in around 100 stores globally and online in all markets.

“This is a major milestone for fashion. For the first time, people will be able to walk into a store and buy clothes made from Circulose - likely the world’s most sustainable fashion material. We are immensely proud to introduce this innovation together with H&M Group, a company with a bold sustainability agenda,” says Patrik Lundström, CEO of re:newcell which makes Circulose.

Circulose is made from recycled clothing containing lots of cellulose, such as jeans. Credit: Alexander Donka

Through its patented process, re:newcell transforms old clothes containing lots of cellulose (such as cotton and viscose) into Circulose -  a 100% natural, recyclable and biodegradable material which is says allows the fashion industry can make new clothes without compromising on quality.

The process reduces the reliance on virgin cotton, oil and forests, uses less water, fewer chemicals, and removes 2 kg CO2e from the atmosphere per kg of textile fiber produced, compared to conventional textiles.

It is one of a number of partnerships with re:newcell and other global fashion businesses promised for this year. The company intends to grow its recycling capacity rapidly, targeting 250 000 tons, equal to one billion garments, per year by 2025.

re:newcell was founded by innovators from Stockholm’s KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) in 2012. The company has raised more than $20m funding to date from investors including H&M, The Mills Fabrica and KappAhl and has a vision to lead the way to a sustainable world by producing high quality products from recycled textiles.