Evrnu Makes High-Street Splash

On Thursday, the Danish retailer’s Object brand unveiled a capsule collection derived from NuCycl, a proprietary lyocell fiber derived from cotton-rich textile waste.

The three styles—a dress, a shirt and a pair of pants—feature relaxed silhouettes, clean lines and a squiggly monochromatic design.

“The garments represent Object’s efforts in preparing for a more circular future,” said June Nygaard, design manager at Object. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Evrnu and introduce the innovative NuCycl fiber into this collection.”

Based in Seattle, Evrnu frames NuCycl as an alternative to virgin tree pulp. Stacy Flynn, Evrnu’s co-founder, previously told Sourcing Journal that the material has a more cotton-like hand than conventional lyocell because it starts from cotton instead of trees. Just as important, NuCycl can be re-recycled into fibers of similar or better quality using the same closed-loop process up to five times.

“NuCycl sets itself apart from other fabric recycling methods as it creates new fabrics on par with, or even higher quality than, the original virgin fiber,” Flynn said. “This exceptional characteristic offers the textile industry an alternative without compromising on performance.”

Evrnu was one of a quartet of companies—the others being Infinited Fiber Company, Circular Systems and Nature Coating—that received an undisclosed amount of financing from Invest FWD, Bestseller’s investment arm for sustainable fashion, in 2021.

In April, the Bestseller-owned Jack and Jones label introduced its first jeans made with Infinited Fiber Company’s Infinna fiber, which also stems from regenerated textile waste.

“Bestseller focuses on systemic changes in and beyond the fashion industry, and without the solution-oriented minds of innovators and willingness from brands we cannot prevail,” said Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, its innovation manager. “We firmly believe in innovation as part of the solution when preparing for a circular future.”

Earlier this year, Evrnu partnered with material science startup Pangaia to bring to market the first denim product derived completely from NuCycl: an oversized jacket that they dubbed Renu. Like the Object collection, quantities were limited because the amount of available material was small, though production is expected to ramp up in the middle of 2024 when Evrnu opens up a commercial-scale facility in North Carolina.

The gains will be exponential: from the current 1-to-5 metric ton range to 17,000 metric tons a year. So will the impact, Flynn hopes.

“By repurposing textile waste into NuCycl fiber, we reduce our reliance on virgin resources, paving the way for a fashion economy where waste is transformed into valuable resources,” she said.