The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also paves the way for Birla Cellulose and SaXcell to expand the production of recycled man-made cellulosic fibres.
Birla Cellulose explains that SaXcell's textile waste pulping technology combined with Birla's advanced wet spinning expertise results in high quality sustainable SaXcell recycled fibres that serve the circular textile needs of customers at commercial scale.
Aditya Birla Group and Birla Cellulose chief technology officer Aspi Patel says: "Birla Cellulose is strongly committed to supporting innovators for expanding circular fibre offerings in the textile and non-woven value chain. We have been exploring innovative business models and partnerships, this collaboration is one such initiative, where we aim to help SaXcell leapfrog from pilot to commercial demonstration scale."
Patel believes that such partnerships will play an increasingly important role in accelerating circularity in the global textile value chain.
SaXcell CEO Erik van der Weerd adds that this collaboration fits SaXcell’s vision to set up a robust circular textile supply chain based on partnership and mutual commitment.
He explains: "To address today’s social and environmental challenges of the textile industry, global collaboration is imperative. We need to facilitate a change from a linear to a circular economy and we need to do it now. SaXcell’s and Birla’s combined innovation force and production power offer a great opportunity to create real impact."
Birla Cellulose's fibres are made from renewable wood and are produced using a closed-loop process with significantly lower carbon emissions and lower resource consumption.
It also says it collaborates actively with its upstream and downstream partners to create a bigger and broader positive impact on the sustainability of its value chain.
In May, Birla Cellulose partnered with TextileGenesis to strengthen its sustainability credentials.
The company said it would be leveraging TextileGenesis’ blockchain-enabled digital traceability platform, which is a key tool for providing transparency across the textile value chain to the end consumer.
