The New Cotton project, formally titled ‘Demonstration and launch of high performance, biodegradable, regenerated New Cotton textiles to consumer markets through an innovative, circular supply chain using Infinited Fiber technology’, was funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. It ran from October 2020 to March 2024, with a total budget of EUR 8.81 million and an EU contribution of EUR 6.75 million. Coordinated by INFINITED FIBER COMPANY OY (Finland), the project brought together actors from across the circular textile value chain to demonstrate how post-consumer textile waste can be transformed into new high-quality fibres and garments using InfinnaTM fibre technology. In collaboration with leading global brands adidas and H&M, the project aimed to validate the market potential of regenerated textile products while supporting the shift towards more circular and sustainable textile production and consumption. 

The project demonstrated that a circular value chain for post-consumer textiles can be established in Europe, combining textile waste collection, sorting, pre-treatment, fibre regeneration, fabric production and consumer-facing product launches.  

Key achievements of the project include:

• Demonstration of the recycling of post-consumer textile waste into new high-quality InfinnaTM fibres using INFINITED FIBER COMPANY OY’s patented cellulose carbamate technology, indicating that discarded textiles can be used as an alternative raw material for textile production.
• Development and optimisation of feedstock sourcing, textile waste pre-processing and pre-treatment, including work on sorting technologies and the identification of suitable raw materials for InfinnaTM production.
• Processing of regenerated fibres at industrial scale into yarns, woven and knitted fabrics and denim, followed by the design and manufacture of garments for market launch through H&M and adidas channels.
• Launch of apparel products to consumers, providing insights into market interest and the performance of garments made from regenerated fibres.
• Progress in technology readiness across the value chain, with key processes advancing from TRL 5 to TRL 7, and fabric manufacturing reaching TRL 8.
• Delivery of environmental, techno-economic and social assessments, suggesting the potential for environmental impact reductions and supporting further consideration of the technology for upscaling.
• Publication of scientific papers, white papers and online educational material, alongside policy engagement activities including two policy roundtables in Brussels. 

New Cotton contributed to EU objectives on circular economy, resource efficiency and sustainable industrial transformation by demonstrating an approach to transforming post-consumer textile waste into new fibres and garments. By reducing the reliance on virgin cotton and indicating the potential for lower environmental impacts across textile production, the project supports broader EU ambitions related to circularity and more sustainable use of resources. The project also addressed the growing need for solutions capable of supporting separate textile collection and recycling in Europe. In this context, the project’s results are relevant to ongoing discussions on textile collection and recycling in Europe, including initiatives related to separate collection of textiles. Through the development and demonstration of recycling technology, New Cotton provided insights into circular textile value chains and explored approaches for bringing related technologies closer to commercial application.

New Cotton was coordinated by INFINITED FIBER COMPANY OY and implemented through a European partnership involving organisations from across the textile value chain, including fibre technology developers, manufacturers, research organisations and apparel brands. The consortium brought together actors with complementary expertise to carry out activities covering textile waste processing, fibre production, garment manufacturing and analysis. Through these activities, the project facilitated the exchange of knowledge and experiences related to circular textile systems, including technical processes, business models and consumer perceptions. Its outputs, such as scientific publications, white papers and educational materials, provide resources that can support further work in this area. Overall, the project supported sharing knowledge and informing ongoing discussions on circularity within the European textiles ecosystem