Just in time for the ‘Day of the Forest’ on 21st March, which the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) launched in the 1970s in response to global deforestation, the Lenzing Group presents its Sustainability Report 2019. It demonstrates how the company is actively meeting global challenges.
Lenzing produces fibres from the renewable raw material wood and is known by its customers and partners in the global textile and nonwovens industry for its clear positioning as a sustainable manufacturer.
It is no coincidence that the new report appears on International Forest Day. Lenzing’s sustainable practises in the procurement of raw materials, especially wood and pulp, were again rated as leaders in the reporting year 2019.
Stand Up! Against Business as Usual
With the motto ‘Stand Up! Against Business as Usual’, Lenzing emphasises the need to take responsibility beyond their products. Business as usual scenarios must be overcome, especially for climate protection. With a science-based target, Lenzing is taking action to tackle the problems caused by climate change. The Lenzing Group is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of product by 50 percent by 2030 compared to the 2017 baseline. The Science Based Target Initiative has scientifically confirmed Lenzing’s climate target.
‘Climate change is the biggest challenge that humanity is currently facing. With our strategic determination to be climate neutral by 2050, we are helping to slow the rate of global warming and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We see our substantial investments not only as a very responsible step, but also as one that will further increase the value of our company,’ says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group. ‘The great challenges of our time need new answers. Lenzing is at the forefront of being part of the solution.’
Breakthrough in REFIBRA™ Technology
A key strategic principle of Lenzing as part of its ‘Naturally Positive’ sustainability strategy and focus in the 2019 Sustainability Report is the circular economy, in which Lenzing makes significant contributions. In order to meet the enormous challenges of industry and society in the field of textile waste, Lenzing developed the REFIBRA™ brand, a unique recycling technology in which cotton cut remnants from clothing production are processed back into fibres. With the first-time reuse of worn clothing for the production of TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres, Lenzing achieved another milestone on the way to establishing this groundbreaking technology on the world market in 2019.
‘REFIBRA™ technology combines the production technology of lyocell fibres, which are widely recognised as the most environmentally friendly wood-based cellulose fibres, with a closed production process and the recycling of cotton materials,’ said Robert van de Kerkhof, Marketing and Sales Director of the Lenzing Group. ‘Lenzing has the vision of making the recycling of textile waste a standard process like paper recycling. This includes recycling fabrics and clothing made from Lenzing materials. Lenzing fibres with REFIBRA™ technology should contain up to 50 percent recycled materials,’ says van de Kerkhof.
Transparency as the basis for transformation
In addition to climate protection and the efficient use of raw materials, transparency along the value chain is a major challenge and at the same time the basis for the greening of the industry. Lenzing offers an innovative solution based on blockchain technology in cooperation with the company TextileGenesis™. This enables customers and consumers tot race the manufacture of a garment back to the raw material by simply scanning a barcode. In 2019, Lenzing presented its first pilot project at the Hong Kong Fashion Summit.
Sustainability goals
As part of its sustainability strategy, Lenzing defined seven core areas in which it makes significant contributions and which directly contribute to some United Nations Development Goals (SDGs). In these areas, Lenzing set concrete, ambitious goals, the implementation of which the Lenzing Group continued to push ahead in the year under review.
Significant improvements were achieved in the following areas:
- Savings of 1.9 percent in specific primary energy consumption and 8 percent reduction in specific greenhouse gas emissions (both base year 2014)
- Around 30 percent less sulfur emissions from production
- Around 30 percent less sulfur dioxide emissions from energy generation
- Compared to 2014, the specific water use was reduced by 7 percent
- Reduction of other emissions in wastewater
For more information, please visit http://www.lenzing.com
