In Finland, renewable textile firm Spinnova has partnered with The North Face to improve the sustainability profile of outdoor apparel. Spinnova’s fiber is made from wood pulp and boasts lower water and carbon dioxide emissions than other renewable and synthetic textile materials.
“It’s our over-arching goal to build more circular products, constantly develop innovative materials and to further reduce the environmental impacts of our products,” The North Face global VP Oliver Lang says in a statement. “Spinnova is the ideal partner on that journey.”
Spinnova estimates the global textile material market will reach 146 million tons by 2030. The company hopes to have the capacity to produce 1 million tons of its fiber annually in the next 10-12 years—enough to replace 4% of global cotton use. Earlier this year, it formed a joint venture with wood pulp company Suzano to build a €22-million ($27-million) facility for Spinnova’s fiber.