Spinnova fiber producer Woodspin and Puma have signed a multiyear letter of intent (LOI) to source sustainable, wood-based fibers from Woodspin, a production plant being jointly developed by Spinnova and Suzano.
One minor issue, though.
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Production has paused at this plant, as the Respin co-owner failed to meet the terms outlined in the LOI between Spinnova and the Brazilian micro-fibrillated cellulose developer. While the location of this Woodspin factory remains unclear—considering the building phase has been postponed—it’s expected to be close to one of Suzano’s existing pulp mills in South America.
But a win is a win, considering Spinnova’s fiscally-discouraging 2023 and “eventful” first half of 2024.
“We are very excited to announce this collaboration for Spinnova fiber with a major global brand like Puma. This marks an important step in building the market and industrial adoption of Spinnova fiber, which is needed to scale the fiber and Spinnova’s technology.” said Shariare Mahmood, Spinnova’s chief product and sustainability officer. “This is only the beginning, and we will continue together with Woodspin to work on signing similar agreements with other partners.”
Puma plans to develop proof-of-concept products using the wood-based fiber for the brand’s future collections, particularly products within Puma’s sportstyle division. But how much fiber and for how many years and for how much money is unclear.
Puma was unable to provide more details about the partnership, as the Nike rival “doesn’t disclose any further contractual or financial details” outside of what’s available in the public statement, which contained zero financial details.
“Spinnova’s innovative fiber technology represents a new gateway into the world of man-made cellulosic fiber production, using water instead of chemicals to help produce these fibers,” Howard Williams, Puma’s director global innovation apparel and accessories, said in a statement.
“This partnership with Puma showcases the potential of sustainably sourced and renewable raw material to transform the fashion industry by inspiring and empowering people to make more sustainable choices,” Jari Aittakari, Woodspin’s sales director, said.
The Spinnova agreement is in line with the sustainable efforts the sportswear brand has made in recent years.
In 2021, Puma set the 2025 target of making nine out of 10 products with preferred materials, either classified by Textile Exchange or originating from certified sources. In 2023, the German giant reported that 99.7 percent of all leather was sourced from Leather Working Group-certified tanneries, with 99.2 percent of all its cotton being certified or recycled. Over the summer, the Adidas alternative scaled up its textile-to-textile recycling initiative, Re:Fibre, to create millions of replica football jerseys with at least 75 percent recycled textile waste. Last month, the Carbios collaborator’s consortium (with other brands like Patagonia and PVH) dropped a T-shirt from 100 percent textile waste.