Circulose and Birla Cellulose have signed a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating textile recycling and supporting the wider shift toward circular materials in fashion and textiles. The agreement brings together Circulose’s recycled textile pulp and Birla Cellulose’s global viscose fiber production, with a shared goal of making recycled fibers more accessible to brands at scale.
Circulose is known for producing pulp made entirely from discarded textiles. Its material, branded as CIRCULOSE®, replaces virgin wood pulp and can be used in established viscose and lyocell manufacturing processes. Birla Cellulose, part of the Aditya Birla Group, is one of the world’s largest producers of viscose staple fiber and has a long-standing focus on responsible sourcing and circular practices.
Under the partnership, Circulose will supply pulp made from 100 percent recycled textile waste to Birla Cellulose. Birla will convert this pulp into viscose staple fiber and offer it directly to Circulose’s brand partners. This setup shortens the path from textile waste to finished fiber and gives brands a clearer, more reliable route to include recycled content in their products.
The agreement supports Circulose’s updated strategy, which places brands at the center of its work. Rather than focusing only on material production, the company is building deeper collaborations across the value chain. The aim is to help brands move from small pilots to regular use of recycled fibers in mainstream collections.
Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose, explains that closer partnerships are essential for wider adoption. Over the past year, the company has refined its approach to better meet the needs of brands that want practical, scalable solutions. Working with a producer like Birla Cellulose allows Circulose to offer not just recycled pulp, but a more complete pathway from waste to fiber to finished textile.
Birla Cellulose brings both scale and experience to the partnership. The company has been recognized as a top-tier performer in Canopy’s Hot Button Report, which assesses environmental risk and sustainability performance in the man-made cellulosic fiber sector. Its operations span multiple countries, with a strong presence in India, where it has been active in promoting circularity and responsible forestry.
The two companies are not new to working together. Their collaboration dates back to the early days of Renewcell, the original developer of CIRCULOSE® technology. This new agreement builds on that history, formalizing a closer relationship at a time when the textile industry is under growing pressure to address waste and resource use.
Textile waste remains a major challenge. Millions of tonnes of clothing and production scraps are discarded each year, while demand for cellulosic fibers such as viscose continues to grow. Recycling post-consumer textiles into new fibers offers a way to reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, while also addressing waste that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.
For brands, the partnership offers something practical. Instead of navigating complex supply chains on their own, they can access viscose fiber made with recycled textile content through an established supplier. This reduces risk, improves consistency, and makes it easier to plan collections that include recycled materials without compromising on quality or performance.
Vadiraj Kulkarni, Business Head of Birla Cellulose, describes the collaboration as a step forward in responsible sourcing. By working with Circulose, the company reinforces its commitment to offering fibers that align with circular principles while meeting the expectations of global customers.
The partnership reflects a shared long-term view. Building a circular textile value chain is not a quick fix, but a gradual process that depends on cooperation across recycling, fiber production, manufacturing, and brands. By aligning their strengths, Circulose and Birla Cellulose are working to make textile-to-textile recycling a practical part of everyday production, rather than a niche option.
As brands look for credible ways to reduce their environmental footprint, partnerships like this help turn intention into action. The focus is less on promises and more on systems that can operate at scale, using existing infrastructure while introducing recycled content where it matters most.
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