Infinited Fiber Company: A Circular Solution for the Textile Industry

Infinited Fiber Company is a Finnish biotech company that has developed a breakthrough technology to turn textile waste and other cellulose-rich materials into high-quality, cotton-like fibers that can be recycled endlessly. The company was founded in 2016 with the vision of creating a circular economy for textiles and reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry.

The Problem

The textile industry is one of the most polluting and resource-intensive industries in the world. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the industry produces 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, consumes 98 million tonnes of non-renewable resources, and generates 92 million tonnes of waste. The industry also relies heavily on cotton, which is a water-intensive and pesticide-dependent crop that occupies 2.5% of the world's arable land.

The current linear model of textile production and consumption is unsustainable and wasteful. Most of the clothes and textiles that are produced end up in landfills or incinerators, losing their value and potential. Only 12% of the material input is recycled into other products, and less than 1% is recycled into new textiles.

The Solution

Infinited Fiber Company offers a solution to this problem by transforming textile waste and other cellulose-based materials, such as cardboard, rice straw, or wheat straw, into new fibers that can be used to make new textiles. The company's technology is based on a chemical process that dissolves the cellulose in the raw materials and regenerates it into a new fiber called Infinna™. Infinna™ has the look and feel of cotton, and can be blended with other fibers, dyed, and processed using existing textile machinery. The process also recovers and reuses the chemicals and water used, making it environmentally friendly and cost-efficient.

The company's technology enables a circular economy for textiles, where the fibers can be recycled over and over again without losing their quality or performance. This reduces the need for virgin raw materials, saves water and energy, and prevents textile waste from ending up in landfills or incinerators. The company estimates that its technology can save 99% of water, 80% of energy, and 60% of CO2 emissions compared to conventional cotton production.

The Impact

Infinited Fiber Company has proven its technology at an industrial-scale pilot plant in Finland, where it produces Infinna™ fibers for leading global brands and textile producers. The company is also working to build the first commercial-scale circular Infinna™ fiber factory in Northern Finland, which is expected to start production in 2026. The factory will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes of Infinna™ fibers per year, equivalent to the fiber needed for about 100 million T-shirts.

The company's technology has received several awards and recognitions, such as the Global Change Award by the H&M Foundation, the Fashion Innovation Award by Fashion for Good, and the Best Practices Award by Frost & Sullivan. The company is also a member of several industry initiatives and networks, such as the New Cotton Project, Textile Exchange, and Canopy, that aim to promote sustainability and circularity in the textile sector.

Infinited Fiber Company is on a mission to make textile circularity an everyday reality, and to offer a way to capture the value in textile waste by regenerating it as a new and versatile textile fiber. The company believes that nothing new needs to be grown when we make the most of what is already in circulation, and that renewing what already exists is more valuable than producing what does not. By working together with textile producers, brands, and consumers who share its vision, the company hopes to bring joy and hope back to closets, homes, and people as it goes.