Inditex is jumping on the Infinna bandwagon.
The Zara owner announced Thursday that it has inked a partnership with Infinited Fiber Company to help close the loop on textile-to-textile recycling. At the core of this, it said, is a three-year commitment to purchase 30 percent of the textile manufacturer’s future volume of Infinna, a regenerated fiber derived entirely from post-consumer textile waste. The deal, Inditex said, is valued at more than 100 million euros ($104 million).
“We truly believe innovation is key for the competitive circular future of the fashion industry, which is why we are actively working to find solutions, and searching for new partnerships, processes and materials to achieve textile-to-textile recycling,” said Javier Losada, chief sustainability officer at Inditex. “Collaborating with others in new innovative initiatives—such as next-generation fibers like Infinna—is vital to carrying out the transformation our industry needs.”
The collaboration, Inditex said, is part of the Spanish retailer’s Sustainability Innovation Hub, an open-innovation platform that brings together startups, academic institutions and tech centers to help scale sustainable and circular materials, technologies and processes. Because Infinited Fiber Company has developed a way to turn cotton-rich castoffs into like-new fibers that can be recycled again using the same process, Inditex will be able to continue to “minimize the use of virgin materials” and “advance the move towards a more circular model of clothing production.”
Infinited Fiber Company said Inditex’s investment will help it ramp up its first large-capacity factory, a $265 million operation that is poised to kick into gear in its native Finland in 2024. Inditex’s purchasing agreement will go into effect at the same time.
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“Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, and this deal is a significant step towards realizing our ambition of making Infinna a mainstream textile material of the future,” said Petri Alava, CEO and co-founder of Infinited Fiber Company, whose brand partnerships read like a who’s who of fashion: Ganni, Patagonia, Pangaia, Wrangler, Zalando and most recently PVH Corp’s Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Its investors include Adidas, Bestseller and H&M Group.
As part of the deal, Zara is rolling out a first-of-its-kind capsule made predominantly using castoffs sourced in collaboration with the Spanish NGO Cáritas, the fast-fashion chain’s clothing collection program partner. The collection, Inditex said, “embraces Zara’s fashion-forward styles along with Infinited Fiber Company’s innovative textile waste regeneration technology.” The collection will be available worldwide beginning May 12.
“It is such a joy to see the beautifully designed pieces created from sustainably produced upcycled fiber now brought to market for the enjoyment of Zara’s customers,” Alava said. “They are yet another demonstration of the versatility of Infinna, and of what can be achieved when great technology is combined with great design. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Inditex to make textile circularity an everyday reality.”