Bailu Group launches textile recycling pilot line

The Bailu Group, Xinxiang City, China, says it has launched a small-scale pilot production line for its next generation viscose fiber at its new BylurRecel facility. The group says the pilot will focus on producing regenerated cellulosic fiber using recovered textiles, the majority of which are postconsumer materials such as discarded hotel linens, with some preconsumer industrial scrap also in the mix.

The group says its BylurRecel line features a simplified production process that skips the traditional dissolving pulp stage, instead using a direct-dissolution method. While still in the early stages, this method offers potential environmental benefits by reducing energy, water and chemical use.

The group says the pilot facility has an initial capacity of 1,000 tons per year of viscose staple fiber, with a second line under development for 1,000 tons per year of viscose filament fiber. Bailu anticipates producing approximately 600 tons of its next generation fiber this year.

Given the early stage of its in-house technology, Bailu says scale-up targets will be set pending operational performance of the pilot plant and supply chain logistics.

“Congratulations to Bailu Group on the commissioning of its BylurRecel pilot facility,” says Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of environmental organization Canopy. “Bailu Group’s investment to develop in-house technology for repurposing postconsumer textiles while eliminating the pulp-making stage is a promising approach that will take the pressure off of vital forest ecosystems. We look forward to seeing how this technology performs and how quickly Bailu can bring it to commercial scale.”

Bailu Group claims that, at scale, BylurRecel will meaningfully contribute to China’s national target to reduce textile scrap by 30 percent by 2030 and is designed to align with a closed-loop model of “textiles-consumption-reuse.”

The new offering complements Bailu’s Bailu-Eco viscose filament yarn made with Sweden-based Södra’s OnceMore recycled pulp. Bailu is based in Henan Province and has a total capacity of 100,000 tons per year. Bailu has worked with Canopy since 2018, is a recipient of a Dark Green Shirt in the 2024 Hot Button Report and is assessed as “low risk for sourcing” from Ancient and Endangered Forests