re:newcell AB
Manufacturer/Supplier in Stockholm
How it all started
Scientists at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, had been researching more efficient ways of producing bioethanol by finding a new way to decompose cellulose. As work progressed they realized that their method could be successful in decomposing the cellulose in cotton and viscose. They were convinced that this could be the key to recycling textiles on a massive scale and make fashion sustainable. In January 2012 they founded re:newcell.
The yellow dress
In July 2014 a model walked down a catwalk and into history. The yellow dress she was wearing was made out of blue jeans that had been recycled with re:newcell technology. It was the first garment in the world that had been made from chemically recycled used textiles. It was also the first re:newcell production of a fully recycled garment, soon to be followed by other dresses, a t-shirt, children’s pajamas, and scarf. Two years later six more re:newcell garments could be seen on the catwalk during the Berlin Ethical Fashion Week.
The first plant
Following growing demand for re:newcell pulp from the fashion industry, the first re:newcell plant opened in Kristinehamn, Sweden in 2017. It’s a demo plant with the capacity to produce 7,000 tons of re:newcell pulp every year. This is where we get the experience that will allow us to design full-scale plants, that each will produce approximately 30,000 tons of re:newcell pulp per year.