Ground has been broken for a cotton recycling facility in South Carolina by the Seattle-based business Evrnu. The project, which will primarily rely on renewable energy, should be operational by the end of 2024. It will have the capacity to make 80,000 T-shirts a year from recycled cotton clothing.
The NuCycle method was patented by Stacy Flynn, the CEO and founder of Evrnu. The proprietary technique breaks down solid cotton into a pulp, which is subsequently reconstituted into fibers for new garments. The clothes are thrown out for traditional downcycling after a grading machine separates them into those that are most likely to be composed entirely of cotton.
Evrnu claims that the finished result is a superior fabric that is made entirely of recyclable recycled cotton and has comparable performance to virgin cotton.
Flynn stated, “We can start essentially creating a closed-circuit supply chain as we create new products by linking the existing waste supply chain to the existing apparel supply chain.”
Evrnu is working with Pangaia to produce a denim jacket made completely of recycled cotton. Along with offering coats, hoodies, shoes, and T-shirts made from its sustainable alternatives, such seaweed, eucalyptus, and grapes, Pangaia also works with and invests in other textile companies that are like Evrnu.
Pangaia wanted a product that was composed of recycled materials and could be recycled in its entirety. Designers chose denim because, in large part, the dyeing process makes it one of the most complex and challenging textiles to recycle.
Additionally, the business used its NuCycle technology to work with fashion store Zara to develop a capsule collection. Flynn claims that brands and retailers have committed US$500 million in volume to Evrnu; none of these pledges are yet public. She predicted that when the company expands, the price of recycled fabric will start to go down.
