Lenzing expands viscose production and combines Rifibra with Ecovero – Sourcing Journal

The Lenzing Group has announced two new initiatives that will strengthen its position as a global leader in specialty fibers and emissions reduction.

First, it extends the use of the eco-efficient Refibra technology to Lenzing Ecovero viscose fibers, taking a step further towards increasing the proportion of post-consumer textile waste contained. In addition, the first revealed the transformation of a manufacturing site in Indonesia into a supplier of specialty viscose fibers for wovens and nonwovens.

The new manufacturing site is a refurbished facility in Purwakarta, Indonesia, which has been converted into a specialty viscose manufacturer to meet the growing global demand for this type of fiber. The upgrade, which the company has invested 100 million euros ($109 million) in over the past two years, is expected to significantly reduce emissions.

Plans to extend Refibra technology to Ecovero viscose fibers were announced at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Textile Fair and Trade Show. The aim of the world’s leading manufacturer of wood-based special fibers is to build on the success of Tencel Lyocell fibers with the expansion of Refibra and to come closer to a circular economy in the textile sector.

Ecovero and Refibra technology currently has a post-consumer recycled raw material content of up to 20 percent, and there are plans to increase this proportion further. Everything comes from high-cellulose materials or polyester-cotton blends processed by leading recycling companies. According to the company, both are now available worldwide and are fully traceable and transparent along the entire value chain.

Florian Heubrandner, Executive Vice President Global Textiles at Lenzing, points out that this latest step strengthens global efforts to introduce a circular economy.

“This new offering enables like-minded fabric mills, apparel makers and consumer brands to embark on this transformative journey together with Lenzing,” he said, adding that it will help “breathe new life into post-consumer textile waste while promoting the circular economy in the global marketplace.” to anchor the core”. the textile value chain.”

Lenzing hopes to receive the prestigious EU Ecolabel for the products from the repositioned Purwakarta plant, which will be added to the products already awarded in the company’s portfolio. These include Ecovero for woven textiles and Veocel for nonwovens.

With the latest steps, Lenzing is adding two more pillars to its environmental policy. Last month, the company was awarded platinum status in the EcoVadis CSR rating for the third time. This underscores its position among 100,000 companies and recognizes its outstanding achievements in the areas of environment, fair working conditions, human rights and sustainable procurement. With this award, it is among the top one percent of the companies evaluated.

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