Lenzing Lead The World With Their Practice For Circular Economy To Create An Earth With A Future

Image Courtesy of Lenzing

The resources of our planet are limited.

For this reason, Lenzing  are committed to establishing the circular economy as a sustainable, future-oriented concept in the industry and to protect the Earth in this way.

Sustainable and efficient use and processing of all raw materials is required to protect the environment.

They have countered the wastefulness of business as usual with circular economy models.

For example, they have shown how our environmentally responsible technology turns discarded garments into new sources of raw material for high-quality fibers.

What Is Circular Economy?

The circular economy is oriented to nature as its role model. In essence, the concept of the circular economy aims to keep raw materials in a closed loop.

In this way, resources are maximally used, the need for new ones is reduced, waste is avoided and the life cycle of products is increased.

In short, the waste of today becomes the raw material of tomorrow - the same as in nature.

In this way, the circular economy differs from the current economic system i.e. the linear system, in which products are manufactured, used and disposed of.

What is the circular economy? What does it look like in practice? Who's doing it now? And how can you get involved?

Lenzing's Practice Of Circular Economy

Lenzing embeds different elements of the circular economy in its business model, practices and innovation. They are covered under these areas:​​​​​​​

• Natural circularity

Lenzing’s products are made from the renewable raw material wood, which is sourced from sustainably managed forests and plantations. Lenzing’s fibers are compostable and biodegrade at the end of their use. Thus, the material loop closes and aligns with the biological cycle.

• Resource-efficient technologies and products

Lenzing continuously develops innovative technologies for the production of sustainable products. A special focus is on the optimal utilization and processing of all raw materials and the efficient recovery of chemicals, water and energy.

• Recycling textile waste

To address the enormous textile waste challenges of industry and society, Lenzing has developed a unique upcycling technology branded REFIBRA™. This technology utilizes pre-consumer cotton scraps and post-consumer garments from the textile value chain as raw materials.

• Traceability and transparency solutions

Lenzing follows a three-pillar approach to a more sustainable and more transparent supply chain: fiber identification system, blockchain and supply chain collaboration and planning. Combining these different approaches assures a high degree of transparency and verifies the origin of Lenzing fibers throughout the supply chain up to the final garment.

• Collaboration for systemic change

Complex global challenges require a cooperative approach. The Lenzing Group therefore cooperates with a large number of stakeholders and business partners along the value chain in order to jointly advance the systemic change with regard to sustainability in the textile and nonwovens industry.

• Waste management

At Lenzing, waste management is at the heart of an effective circular economy. The waste arising from the production process can be used as a raw material for other processes, thus reducing the need for new resources, avoiding waste and increasing resource efficiency. In this way environmental impacts are minimized.