Woodspin ramps up production of sustainable, wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre at new zero-emission factory
The first commercial facility producing SPINNOVA® fibre is scaling up production to 1,000 tonnes of sustainable textile fibre annually.
25 May, Jyväskylä, Finland – Finnish sustainable textile pioneer Spinnova and the world's largest pulp producer Suzano have officially opened their first commercial-scale facility producing wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre. Operated by Woodspin – Spinnova and Suzano’s joint venture – the plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of sustainable, recyclable and fully biodegradable textile fibre from responsibly-grown wood each year. This facility marks the first industrial operations Suzano has outside of Brazil. Woodspin has also announced plans to open a second site to scale production further. Their aim is to build one million tonnes of wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre annual production capacity by 2033.
Christian Orglmeister, Executive Director New Business at Suzano said:
“The global fashion and textile industry needs high quality sustainable and recyclable materials. At Woodspin we are bringing to the market Spinnova's innovative biodegradable textile fibre, made using Suzano's abundant supply of responsibly-sourced eucalyptus pulp. This has a radically lower environmental impact than alternative fibres such as cotton, offering one of the few genuinely scalable solutions to support sustainable production. We're excited to ramp up production and create positive change.”
Capable of producing textile fibre with zero emissions, the modern facility also has a comprehensive approach to circularity and sustainability. As the only by-product of SPINNOVA® production is heat, the facility doesn’t require an environmental permit to operate. Using an advanced energy recovery system, excess heat is recycled into the local district heating system, estimated to save 2.4kg CO2e per kg of fibre produced, that would otherwise be required to generate district heat. Coupled with an environmentally friendly production process, Woodspin’s pioneering large-scale facility saves more emissions than it creates.
Juha Salmela, CTO and Co-Founder at Spinnova said:
“Spinnova’s patented fibre production process doesn’t require any harmful chemicals or dissolving, nor does it generate waste or microplastics. It has a 74% smaller life cycle carbon footprint and uses 99.5% less water compared to conventional cotton production. The result is a natural, cotton-like textile fibre that meets the rigorous environmental and performance demands of brands and consumers alike – and, through facilities such as this one, can now be produced at scale.”
SPINNOVA® fibre spun at Woodspin’s facility is produced from wood pulp made from certified, sustainably grown eucalyptus trees. All pulp is sourced from Suzano, which has a strict zero deforestation policy and only plants on land that was previously degraded.
The wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre has previously been used by global fashion brands such as adidas, H&M Group’s ARKET, Marimekko and JACK&JONES.
More information
Ben Selby, Spinnova CEO (Interim), comms@spinnova.com
Sarah Clarbour, suzano@hawthornadvisors.com
About Woodspin
Woodspin has the exclusive rights to produce and commercialize wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre, a sustainable, recyclable, and biodegradable material made from trees. Woodspin is a 50/50 joint venture between the world’s largest hardwood pulp producer, Suzano, and Spinnova, an innovative Finnish materials technology company. Woodspin’s unique product fuses the responsibly-grown eucalyptus hardwood of Suzano with the pioneering technology of Spinnova. The spinning process uses radically less water than alternative fibres, requiring no harmful chemicals, and leaving no waste by-products or microplastics.
http://woodspin.com/
About SPINNOVA – Sustainable textile materials, naturally
Spinnova transforms the way textiles are manufactured globally. Based in Finland, Spinnova has developed breakthrough patented technology for making textile fibre out of wood or waste, such as leather, textile or agricultural waste, without harmful chemicals. The SPINNOVA® fibre creates zero waste and side streams or microplastics, and its CO2 emissions and water use are minimal. SPINNOVA® materials are quickly biodegradable and circular.
Spinnova is committed to using only sustainable raw materials such as FSC certified wood and waste. SPINNOVA® fibre is produced without harmful or complex chemical processes, and has the touch and feel of natural fibres such as cotton and linen. Spinnova has received awards from Fast Company, ISPO, Scandinavian Outdoor, ANDAM, Monocle and Marie Claire UK.
Spinnova’s shares (SPINN) are listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland.
SPINNOVA® home: www.spinnova.com
Corporate & IR site: www.spinnovagroup.com
About Suzano
Suzano is the world’s largest producer of market pulp. A reference in the innovation and production of renewable, bio-based materials from eucalyptus trees for consumer and industrial use. Our responsibly grown materials provide over 2 billion people in more than 100 countries including, among others, market pulp, printing and writing paper, tissue, paper cups and straws, paperboard packaging, toilet paper and textiles, while our fluff for absorbent products is found in diapers and feminine hygiene items. Suzano is guided by the purpose of Renewing life inspired by trees. Innovability, or the pursuit of sustainable solutions through innovation, is at the core of all its work to meet society’s challenges. Suzano’s history spans 99 years and the company is listed on the B3 stock exchange in Brazil (SUZB3) and the NYSE (SUZ) in the United States.
Learn more at: www.suzano.com.br/en
