H&M Partners with Circ and Lenzing to Debut First Recycled Fiber Collection

H&M launches its first garments with Circ’s recycled fiber. The Swedish retail giant, the second largest worldwide and one of the companies with the most ambitious sustainable goals, has introduced Circ’s recycled fibers for the first time in two of its garments, which will be launched soon. The U.S.-based next-generation materials company is able to separate polyester and cellulose fibers from textile waste to reuse both.

The milestone is part of a larger program by H&M, whereby it has facilitated the introduction of Circ’s technology at its supplier factories in Bangladesh, recycling 2.6 tons of polycotton (the fabric made up of polyester and cotton) waste back into reusable fiber. The project, the two companies explained in a joint statement, will enable Circ to test the commercial viability of its fiber in fashion supply chains, as well as take the first steps towards a global launch.

H&M, for its part, will launch two different garments made from Circ’s fiber. The first will see the light of day as early as this fall season, through a sweatshirt from the women’s collection made from the recycled polyester, while in the spring of next year, the group will launch jeans with the cellulose fiber.

H&M will launch two different garments with Circ fibers, one with polyester and the other with viscose

Peter Majeranowski, CEO of the U.S. company, explained that the collaboration with an industry giant like H&M, which he values, brings scalability to circular processes in fashion. “By working with partners of this caliber, we demonstrate how fiber producers and companies can drive sustainability in commercial volumes,“ the executive added.

In addition to its partnership with H&M, Circ has also started working with Lenzing, one of the world’s largest viscose manufacturers. The collaboration between the two involves the introduction of Circ’s cellulosic fiber into the Austrian group’s value chain. It will be precisely the resulting material, which will contain 30% of Circ’s patented recycled pulp, that H&M will use in the second garment.

“Collaboration with key partners such as Circ is an essential part of our vision to separate resource use and extraction from business growth,“ added Cecilia Strömblad, head of resources and circularity at the Swedish group. Circ’s plans already include the construction of a first plant, the company’s first industrial-scale plant, in France, which is scheduled for 2028, with the aim of supplying fiber to fashion companies in Europe.