Lenzing intensifies sustainability efforts

Austrian textile and cellulose fibre producer Lenzing Group is planning to intensify its sustainability efforts and will do so through four measures that it announced in a press release on 13th July: Until 2022, the company wants to invest more than 100 million euros in sustainable production. It is also committed to improving the textile and nonwoven industries as a leader in sustainable fiber solutions and will adopt the UN-Sustainable Development Goals as guiding principles for its sustainability agenda. Last but not least, all Lenzing sites will strive to fulfill the EU Ecolabel standard by 2022.

“The textile and the nonwoven industries face fundamental challenges related to sustainability. Lenzing is passionate to take a leadership role in addressing this and making the world a better place. Our holistic approach to sustainability underpins this scope. The new eco-investment program is a major step forward in our ambition,” commented Lenzing CEO Stefan Doboczky.

Lenzing’s circular operating models with closed loop production processes set the standard in the industry. In order to further extend the environmental leadership, a major part of this investment will focus on closed loop production technologies for the expansion of the sulfur recovery systems.

The second area of investment will be in improving the effluent treatment units. In addition, Lenzing will upgrade its energy usage to more sustainable solutions reducing its greenhouse gas emissions due to the construction of a gas boiler at its site in China. This investment strengthens Lenzing’s sustainability leadership at its viscose facility in Nanjing, which recently started the production of Lenzing’s viscose fibres EcoVero.

The investments underline Lenzing’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as guiding principles for its sustainability agenda. One of the most significant SDGs for the company is SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption.

“The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call for a sustainable economy that protects the planet and ensures prosperity and well-being for all people,” said Lenzing’s chief commercial officer Robert van de Kerkhof. “With our REFIBR technology, Lenzing is innovating to support a more circular, bio-based economy, contributing in particular to SDG 12,” he added.

With its sustainability targets, the Lenzing Group strives to upgrade all its production sites to the ambitious European Ecolabel standard by 2022, making it one of the first companies to commit to a global sustainability-oriented manufacturing standard.

Photo: Lenzing website