Circulose secures multi-year sourcing agreement with H&M

H&M Group has struck up a multi-year sourcing agreement with material manufacturer Circulose. The Swedish fashion giant has agreed to replace a “substantial share” of its virgin viscose used throughout its portfolio with Circulose’s own man-made fibres.

The deal contributes to H&M’s wider mission of ensuring that 100 percent of its materials are recycled or sustainably sourced by 2030, the group’s head of resource use and circularity, Cecilia Strömblad Brännsten, said in a release.

“Scaling access to these solutions is key to accelerating the shift towards a circular economy for fashion,” Brännsten added.

Circulose and H&M first struck up a partnership back in 2020, when the group was named the first fashion retailer to use Circulose’s patented material made from discarded textiles for its Conscious Exclusive collection.

The deepening of the partnership furthers H&M’s view that there has been an increase in access to and scalability of more circular fibres that have the ability to replace their virgin and conventional counterparts.

With this, CEO of Circulose, Jonatan Janmark, said the retailer “has been a driving force in advancing sustainable and circular solutions in fashion” and that the company was “grateful to now formalise this new partnership to accelerate Circulose adoption at scale”.

Circulose, which notably counts H&M’s former CEO, Helena Helmersson, as chairman of its board, produces a “dissolving pulp” that can be used to create cellulosic fibres that can be spun into woven or knitted fabrics.