SmartCHEM summit 22nd May 2018

1. SmartCHEM summit 2018
22.05.2018 - Session 1: Building up bio-based business
Ali Harlin, Infinited Fibre Company, Promising innovation for bio-based
textile industry – challenges and opportunities.

2. Misson
Design Anna Ruohonen 2017
Cotton production has not grown since 2005 –
replacement is needed
Textile is not allowed in landfill
Micro plastics is a major concern
Recycled cotton:
Solution for rawmaterials, waste and mirco plastics

3. Textile
Recycling
Ecosystem
Over 100 million tons per year globally
(The Fiber Year, 2017)
Around 120 million bales (21,6 million
tons) annually since 2005 (Statista, 2018)
Synthetic textile fibres are one big source
of microplastics (Henry et al., 2018;
DeFalco et al., 2018)
Western world with direct second hand
retail markets is typically 10-20% (e.g.
Watson et al., 2016)
Raw materials are to be cycled within
looped system (Ellen MacArthur
Foundation, 2017)
Model of a circular business ecosystem for textiles.(Fontell & Heikkilä, 2017)
The Relooping Fashion Initiative project (Relooping Fashion, 2017)
Modelling work related to circular ecosystem of textiles (Fontell
and Heikkilä, 2017)

4. ▪ Industrial funding base
▪ Demos for leading international brands
▪ License technology
▪ First plant 10kt (year 2020)
The Infinited Fiber Company

5. Environmentally friendly technology
The core Infinited Fiber technology consists of three key processes:
activation, dissolving and fractioning.
With the technology you can return the cotton, viscose and
other cellulose based materials back to new natural fibers.
The fiber is equal to viscose.
Technology can applied in any existing pulp,
dissolving pulp and viscose fiber plant.
Infinited Fiber technology enables pulp and dissolving pulp
manufacturers to extend their value chains as well as possibility to
bring a new alternative raw material to the fashion industry:

6. Infinited fiber –
First generation manmade natural fiber
Can regenerate new virgin fibers infinitely from textile waste:
Reduces the usage of virgin natural materials
Reduces the usage of endangered and ancient forests (30% of viscose comes from endangered and ancient forests)
Decreases the textile waste thrown into landfill (70 million tones globally).
In Europe the waste collection industry is forecasting 4 million tons additional feasible collection potential.
Can replace cotton in several applications:

7. From project to demo production
• 2013: Laboratory tests from denim
• 2014: Making a concept and project
• 2015-17: Relooping Fashion: full scale pilot
-18: T2C: EU CO/PES recycling (ongoing…)
• 2016: Commercialization basics
Telaketju project: Total recycling in Finland (continuous…)
• 2017: ESCR project: Pilot facility,
• 2017: Start up IFC (Infinited Fiber Company)
First poducts: jersey and nonwovens
Four delivery agreements with major brands
• 2018-19: Demo prodcution scale up started 3/18
Tesing new ramaterials, sample deliveries….
• 2020: First plant

8. IFC production ongoing in Bioruukki, Espoo

9. On the way to success
The Relooping Fashion Initiative