Textile-to-textile recycler Circ has forged a partnership with H&M Group, marking a significant milestone as the Swedish fashion retailer will use regenerated fibers for sustainable fashion derived from polycotton waste in its collections.
The initial offerings are slated for release in Fall 2025, featuring a women’s V-neck fleece sweatshirt crafted from Circ Polyester. This collection will expand in Spring 2026 to include men’s denim made with TENCEL | Circ featuring REFIBRA Technology.
Lenzing Group, known for its production of regenerated cellulose fibers, plays a pivotal role in this collaboration. It will support the commercialization of Circ’s recycled pulp through its global supply chain under the TENCEL | Circ brand utilizing REFIBRA Technology.
Lenzing’s REFIBRA technology innovatively transforms textile waste into raw materials alongside sustainably sourced wood, giving new life to discarded fibers. The Lyocell fiber produced under the TENCEL | Circ brand integrates 30% Circ pulp, sourced from recycled textile waste, demonstrating how current fiber technologies can promote large-scale circularity.
This international rollout builds upon the SWITCH2CE program led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and follows a two-year pilot project with Intellecap and H&M Group. During the trial, Circ successfully tested its recycling process with H&M’s suppliers in Bangladesh, turning 2.6 tons of polycotton waste into Circ Lyocell and Circ Polyester.
Circ was selected for its expertise in recycling blended fibers and its commitment to reducing environmental impact while scaling operations. The pilot validated the commercial viability of Circ’s system within local supply chains, paving the way for this global launch.
The forthcoming products are the result of collaborative efforts throughout the supply chain. For the men’s denim made with TENCEL | Circ with REFIBRA technology, AGI Denim wove the fiber into fabric, while Palmetto converted Circ recycled PET chips into polyester staple fiber for the women’s fleece sweatshirt. Fakir Knitwear then knitted this fiber into the final fabric.
Circ’s technology is designed to easily integrate into existing manufacturing processes, allowing partners to shift to circular materials without disrupting production lines. Through efforts like Circ-Ready, the company collaborates with supply chain partners to promote the widespread adoption of circular fashion practices and the use of regenerated fibers for sustainable fashion.
Circ CEO Peter Majeranowski stated, “H&M Group brings global fashion scale, and Lenzing brings decades of fiber expertise. Together, they provide the infrastructure needed to make circular fashion commercially viable.
“By partnering with industry leaders, we’re demonstrating how fiber producers and global brands can close the loop at commercial volumes. This builds on our work through the UNIDO SWITCH2CE program with H&M Group, which confirmed our technology could recycle blended textile waste within local supply chains. What we’re announcing today is the next step in turning pilots into global practice.”
Samples from this collaboration will be featured at the ongoing Textile Exchange Conference 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
