How LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose with REFIBRA? Unlocks New Possibilities for a Circular Textile Industry

As environmental regulations tighten and consumer attention on sustainability increases, the fashion industry is moving away from traditional linear production models and adopting more innovative, circular approaches that focus on lowering the need for new, virgin materials.

The motivation for this change is clear. On average, producing clothes and shoes for just one citizen of the EU—whose population was approximately 447.7 million in 2020—required nine cubic meters of water, 400 square meters of land and 391 kilograms of raw materials. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that only 14.7 percent of textile waste in the United States was recycled, amounting to 2.5 million tons in 2018. In contrast, over 11 million tons of textile waste—nearly 8 percent of all municipal solid waste—ended up in landfills.

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Be it virgin or recycled, used textiles have been piling in landfills, taking years to biodegrade or compost while occupying much space. Yet, LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose with REFIBRA? technology by the Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwoven industries, is an effective remedy to this undesired situation.

As one of the company’s new introductions in recent years, the LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose with REFIBRA? technology uses textile waste as a raw material, in addition to wood. The fibers contain a minimum of 20 percent recycled material, which is sourced from pre- and post-consumer waste. Lenzing also leverages the power of collaboration by working with partners within and outside the textile value chain, such as sorting and recycling companies.

The REFIBRA? technology is strategically positioned to contribute to driving circularity in the industry. By incorporating recycled materials into the highly efficient production process of standard LENZING? ECOVERO? fibers [1], the REFIBRA? technology helps the industry to reduce the dependency on virgin raw materials.

Customers who opt for LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose with REFIBRA? technology, which utilizes used fabrics, are one step closer to circularity. Whether it is the original LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose or the innovative LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose with REFIBRA? technology, the resulting quality remains consistent if the fibers are processed in the same way.

The Austria-headquartered company applied the REFIBRA? technology to its LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose last year for the first time and showcased them at different trade shows in the second half of the year. The technology and its development manifest Lenzing’s commitment to propelling the transition to a circular economy in the textile and fashion industry by offering fibers produced with recycled ingredients and raising awareness throughout the value chain. [2]

“Through collective engagement and systematic changes brought by continuous collaborative projects with brands and mills, Lenzing is contributing to the value chain shift toward lower-impact practices by offering sustainable textile products [2],” said Jayaraman Sethuraman, vice president of global sales textiles at Lenzing. “LENZING? ECOVERO? with REFIBRA? technology is well-positioned to enable diverse circular design innovations. It encourages like-minded businesses to constantly explore ways to breathe new life into post-consumer textile waste, striving to create new products while adhering to circularity.”

To learn more about LENZING? ECOVERO? Viscose, click here. To learn more about Lenzing, click here.

[1] LENZING ECOVERO? Viscose fibers are made with at least 50 percent less carbon emissions and water consumption, compared to generic (unbranded) viscose. The results were calculated according to LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and are made available via the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) v3.7 by Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition).

[2] To foster a sustainable global textile and nonwovens industry, Lenzing follows three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally Positive” sustainability strategy, which focuses on greening the value chain, advancing the circular economy, and collaborating for systemic change with key industry stakeholders, such as Textile Exchange, Cascale, Canopy, Together for Sustainability, Renewable Carbon Initiative and UN Global Compact.