Austrian supplier of specialty fibres Lenzing has partnered with Swedish pulp producer Södra to develop textiles made from recycled and sustainably produced materials.
- They would do so also with Portuguese fabric manufacturer Riopele.
- The outcome would be a spring/summer collection by fashion brand Filippa K, which will be presented to the fashion world this autumn.
The Project: This would be is the first fashion collection to contain Tencel and Refibra lyocell fibres based on the further developed OnceMore brand pulp.
- The OnceMore pulp, which was jointly developed further by Lenzing and Södra, is the world’s first process for largescale recycling of textile waste from blended fabrics.
- Using the Refibra technology, Lenzing produces lyocell fibres from it in a closed-loop manufacturing process.
- With Riopele’s expertise in yarn and fabric production, the pilot fibres would be subsequently turned into fashionable fabrics that Filippa K would use in the collection.
The Backdrop: Lenzing and Södra have been joining forces in textile recycling since 2021, making a decisive contribution to promoting the circular economy in the fashion industry.
- As part of the cooperation, the companies intend to share their knowledge with each other and jointly develop processes to enable broader use of cellulosic used textiles on a commercial scale.
- The jointly developed pulp OnceMore will subsequently also be used as a raw material for the production of Lenzing’s Tencel x Refibra branded specialty fibres.
- The goal is to process 25,000 tonnes of textile waste per year by 2025.
What They Said:
One company alone can’t solve the pressing issue of textile waste. It is proactive partnerships like this that enable us to move forward and bring about real systemic change. We’re working hard to make our industries even more sustainable and to drive the transformation of the textile business model from linear to circular. Further efforts from the entire industry are needed for this transformation to take place.
— Robert van de Kerkhof
Chief Commercial Officer (Fibre)
Lenzing Group
We are so excited to be the first brand developing products in the new textile based on OnceMore pulp using Lenzing’s Refibra technology, supported by Riopele’s creative expertise in yarn and fabric production. We are not in this alone – collaboration is an essential step in sustainable transformation of the industry. It’s important to us at Filippa K to join forces with like-minded partners who are innovators in their own fields.
— Jodi Everding
Vice-President (Sustainability)
Filippa K
