Biosynthetics was Introduced as a New Topic for the Cologne Cellulose Fibers Conference,
which Examined Bio-Based Alternatives to Petroleum-Based Resources
Anna Palmberg of IKEA said the Sweden-headquartered home furnishing products supplier is definitely interested in using more renewable and recyclable materials, including cellulose fibers, instead of fossil-based materials in the future. “However, affordability and sustainability have to go together,” she reminded delegates.
Biosynthetics was introduced as a new topic for the Cologne conference. These bio-based polymer fibers, including CO2-based polymer fibers, currently account for less than 0.5% of total global fiber production, which is set to rise to 2% by 2029, according to the Nova-Institute.
With the textile industry’s carbon footprint continuing to rise and concerns over climate change, marine microplastics, and low recycling rates, an increase in the use of renewable fibers would represent a major step in reducing dependence on fossil carbon, particularly crude oil.
However, global cotton fiber production is stagnating due to issues over land utilization, irrigation, and pesticide use. At the same time, the production of bast fibers, such as jute, hemp, ramie, and kenaf, will require major technological improvements, as these fibers are more difficult to process than cotton and, therefore, more expensive.
With an ambition to replace most fossil-based synthetic fibers by 2050, man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs), such as viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate, and cupro, represent a promising long-term alternative for using renewable carbon from above-ground sources such as biomass carbon dioxide (CO2) and recycling.
To discuss these and other issues, the sixth Cellulose Fibres Conference held in March in the vibrant city of Cologne, Germany, billed as the world’s only congress dedicated exclusively to MMCFs, attracted around 200 participants from 22 countries and 37 speakers from 13 countries.
Wide Range of Properties and Applications
The production of MMCFs has grown steadily in recent decades to a record 8 million tonnes in 2023 and is expected to rise further to 11 million tonnes in 2030. These fibers are bio-based and biodegradable and have a wide range of properties and applications, such as textiles, hygiene products and packaging.
The raw materials for MMCFs include virgin wood and all types of cellulosic waste streams from forestry and agriculture and including cotton processing waste, textile waste and paper waste.
Cellulose – The New Unified Standard
Dieter Eichinger of Belgium-based CIRFS, the European Man-Made Fibres Association, proposed “cellulose” as a unifying generic name for MMCFs to simplify the current fragmented landscape, as consumers do not readily identify this term with cotton.
He explained that MMCFs, the oldest category of man-made fibers, are the only fibers that are generically defined by their processes, such as viscose, cupro and lyocell, or by their properties, such as modal. By contrast, all other synthetic generic fibers are defined by their polymer, such as polyester and polyamide. “By adopting the term ‘cellulose,’ producers can introduce new, eco-friendly fiber technologies without restrictive classifications,” said Eichinger.
Andreas Engelhardt of The Fiber Year, Switzerland, pointed out that regenerated cellulosic fibers again showed the fastest growth rate in 2024, with double-digit year-on-year gains for both modal and lyocell fibers, in particular. He reported substantial investment in new cellulosic fiber production plants, with around 200,000 tonnes of additional capacity annually.
Anna Palmberg of IKEA said the Sweden-headquartered home furnishing products supplier is definitely interested in using more renewable and recyclable materials, including cellulose fibers, in the future instead of fossil-based materials. “However, affordability and sustainability have to go together,” she reminded delegates.
Bright Future for Lyocell
Discussing the lyocell market, Simone Seisl of Simone Seisl Consulting, Germany, noted that lyocell fibers represented 8% of the MMCF market in 2023, compared with 77% for viscose.
Lyocell’s potential as a mainstream fiber has emerged after years of dominance by Austria-based Lenzing, which previously held the position as the sole global supplier with its production process protected by worldwide patents, said Seisl. As these patents have gradually expired, other companies, such as India’s Birla and Chinese players, have entered the market, boosting competition and availability.
Investment in the sector has surged, with global lyocell fiber production growing from 200,000 tonnes in 2018 to an estimated 600,000 tonnes last year, with the market driven by rising consumer awareness and demand for sustainable clothing that maintains high performance standards.
China alone has announced 800,00 tonnes of new lyocell capacity by 2028, with an additional 1 million tonnes under consideration. The Royal Golden Eagle group, through its affiliate Sateri, is driving the investment.
These investments in new capacity could double the size of the global lyocell market by 2028 and help address many of the current growth bottlenecks. Meanwhile, increased investment in spinning and dyeing facilities will result in a broader range of lyocell yarns becoming available in the market and a more consistent inventory.
Lyocell is, therefore, likely to gain wider market acceptance, particularly in blends with other fibers. With production costs declining, lyocell is forecast to become more competitive with both cotton and viscose, said Seisl.
Fiber-to-Fiber Recycling
Finnish company Valmet, a supplier of process technologies, automation systems, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries, has chosen textiles as its new business area of focus.
Based in Finland, the company aims to develop and commercialize fiber-to-fiber textile recycling processes and related process equipment, as well as processes and equipment to replace the traditional viscose process.
Valmet has provided equipment for Circulose in Sweden to process pre- and post-consumer polyester/cotton textile waste to be used in viscose and lyocell production, and also drying and heat recovery technology for Spinnova and Suzano in Finland to refine paper-grade pulp as micro-fibrillated cellulose to produce the novel Spinnova cellulosic fiber. The company is also active in several textile-related research and development projects, said R&D manager Shirin Asaadi.
Multi-Component Textile Waste Recycling
Meanwhile, ShareTex and ENCE have started a collaborative project for the chemical recycling of multi-component textile waste material as part of efforts to reduce waste generation and increase recycling rates.
The project aims to construct, start up and operate a pilot plant in Galicia, Spain, for the chemical recycling of textile waste and to scale up a novel process, explained Miguel Sanchis Sebastiá, chief executive officer of ShareTex, based in Sweden.
The process allows the extraction of cellulose from different types of textile waste, either mono- or multi-component, so it does not depend on a particular type of fiber. It also offers the possibility of modifying the properties of the cellulose in the final product, tailoring it to customers’ needs.
“This flexibility allows cellulose fibers to be reintroduced with the highest possible added value, either as new textile fibers or for other applications,” said Sanchis. “Further, the synthetic fibers present in the raw material are obtained in a controlled and purified way, making it possible to establish synergies with collectors of these materials.”
Biosynthetic Alternatives
Emerging as promising alternatives to traditional synthetic fibers, biosynthetic fibers were introduced as a new topic for the Cologne conference. These bio-based polymer fibers, including CO2-based polymer fibers, currently account for less than 0.5% of total global fiber production, which is set to rise to 2% by 2029, according to the Nova-Institute, which organized the two-day event in Cologne.
The research and consultancy institute’s latest annual report on bio-based polymers indicates that installed capacities of biodegradable bio-based polymers will exhibit a compound annual growth rate of around 17% to 2029, even though current average capacity utilization is still at a moderate 65%.
There are numerous options for biosynthetics, including polyester fibers (such as polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) fibers), polyolefin fibers (bio-based or CO2-based polyethylene and polypropylene) and bio-based polyamide fibers from castor oil.
PTT, for example, is well established in the US carpet market and PLA is used in the hygiene market, according to Nova-Institute. And while all biosynthetic fibers are bio-based, only a few, such as PLA and PHA, are biodegradable under specific environmental conditions, explained Constance Issbrücker, head of the environmental department of Gesamtverband der deutschen Textil- und Modeindustrie (Confederation of the German Textile and Clothing Industry), Germany.
Biosynthetics also include several carbon capture innovations emerging within the fashion, apparel, and textile industries. In principle, many fibers can also be made from CO2 but the technology and production capacity will need major development and investment and could take decades to become mainstream.
Luna Aslan, co-founder and project manager of Noosa, Belgium, demonstrated the application of PLA textile fibers using the patented Noocycle chemical recycling process. Noosa PLA fibers, which are said to be “endlessly recyclable,” are available as staple fibers, spun yarn and filament yarn with applications including uniforms, wipes and tissues, curtains and bedding, teabags, T-shirts, socks, military fabric and pillow filling.
Innovation Award Winners
A highlight of the conference was the announcement of the Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2025 award winners with three projects recognized for their progress.
In first place was SA-Dynamics, Germany, which has developed insulation materials made from 100% biodegradable cellulose aerogel fibers. These materials combine the flexibility of traditional fabrics with the superior thermal insulation properties of aerogels, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil-based and animal-derived insulation materials in textiles and construction.
In second place was Releaf Paper France, which transforms urban fallen leaves into sustainable cellulose fibers, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional hardwood pulp. Then company’s proprietary low-temperature extraction process yields high-quality fibers ideal for packaging materials, aligning with circular economy principles by re-purposing urban leaf waste.
In third place was Uluu, Australia, with seaweed-derived biosynthetic materials. The company aims to replace plastics in textiles with natural PHA polymers derived from farmed seaweed. In partnership with Deakin University, Uluu is developing textile fibers that perform like polyester fibers but are biodegradable in various environments, eliminating persistent microplastic pollution in fashion.
In addition to the conference program, the event provided ample networking opportunities. A new matchmaking tool resulted in more than 50 meetings scheduled during the conference, encouraging collaboration and innovation among delegates.
Price is the Key Determinant
Despite the positivity generated by the Cologne event, several speakers noted that sustainable alternatives to synthetic fibers are currently too expensive. If the textile industry considers using more non-food feedstocks, cost will inevitably drive production.
At the same time, the cellulosic fibers industry needs to increase awareness at the consumer level and make these fibers cheaper than non-sustainable fibers: price remains the key determinant.
Fossil-free textiles have a long way to go. According to Nova-Institute managing director Michael Carus and senior expert Dr. Asta Partanen, “The sustainable textile industry of the future will be built on a foundation of cotton fibers and fast-growing cellulosic fibers, with the latter strongly supported by bio- and CO2-based synthetic fibers and high recycling rates for all types of fibers. This combination can eventually replace most fossil-based synthetic fibers by 2050.”
The next Cellulose Fibres Conference will again take place in Cologne, Germany, on March 4-5, 2026.
