In Xinxiang City, China, a leading viscose rayon manufacturer, Bailu Group (Xinxiang Chemical Fiber Co.), is advancing into the field of circular textiles with a fresh investment. The company has inaugurated a pilot production line at its newly established BylurRecel facility, dedicated to producing Next Generation viscose fiber from recycled materials. This includes mainly post-consumer textile waste, such as old hotel linens, and a portion of pre-consumer industrial textile scraps.
What sets this operation apart is its innovative direct-dissolution process, which eliminates the conventional dissolving pulp stage typically required in viscose production. This streamlined method is designed to lower the consumption of energy, water, and chemicals, making the process more eco-efficient.
The pilot plant currently has the capacity to produce 1,000 tons of viscose staple fiber annually, with a second line in progress that will allow for an additional 1,000 tons of viscose filament fiber production. By 2025, the company plans to produce around 600 tons of Next Gen fiber. This pilot project complements Bailu’s main production capacity, which stands at 100,000 tons per year.
This initiative reflects China’s national goal to cut textile waste by 30% by 2030, forming part of a closed-loop system for textiles that emphasizes reuse and recycling.
Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy, an environmental organization committed to protecting forests and ecosystems, praised Bailu’s efforts. She highlighted that the company’s approach of recycling post-consumer materials without using wood-derived pulp can significantly reduce the strain on forest resources.
This development also aligns with Bailu Group’s broader sustainability efforts, including its Bailu-Eco viscose filament yarn, which is manufactured using Södra’s OnceMore recycled pulp. Bailu has been collaborating with Canopy since 2018 to advance environmentally responsible fiber production.