Marks & Spencer (M&S) has become the first UK brand to join Swedish sustainable textile manufacturer Circulose as a scaling partner.

The company recycles textile waste and turns it into a new material called CIRCULOSE.

M&S said the move marks a step forward in its commitment to circularity in its fashion supply chain.

The partnership will see M&S integrate CIRCULOSE into select products, which the retailer said will help to reduce its reliance on virgin fibres and accelerate the shift to circular design at scale.

CIRCULOSE is produced through a patented process that transforms discarded textiles, including production waste and textiles that can no longer be resold or used, into a high-performance material, which the company claims helps reduce waste, lower emissions, and ease pressure on forests and land.

M&S said the collaboration builds on its commitment to become a net zero business across its value chain by 2040.

The partnership complements previous initiatives the retailer has launched, including a repair service with SOJO that it rolled out in June last year and a resale service on eBay it launched this August.

"Partnering with Circulose allows us to put the concept of circular design into action and will be an example of how the industry can move from small-scale pilots to incorporating next-generation materials at a greater scale,” said Katharine Beacham, head of sustainability and materials in fashion at M&S. “By integrating circular materials into our sourcing strategy, we will be reducing reliance on virgin fibres, cutting waste, and helping to build a fashion industry that’s fit for the future.”

The move comes after several other fashion retailers have incorporated textile recycling into their supply chains in recent years, including Zara-owner Inditex which signed an agreement to buy a portion of the annual production of cycora, a material made from post-industrial and post-consumer polyester waste.

Last month H&M Group also announced it will sell garments made from recycled polycotton blends as it seeks to boost circular fashion in the industry.
Through a partnership with Circ, a company specialising in textile recycling, the fashion brand said it will integrate fibres recycled from polycotton textile waste in its products before the end of the year.

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