BioFibreLoop achieves lignin-based fiber breakthrough

The EU-supported project BioFibreLoop has achieved success in spinning fibers from lignin-based materials. The project is focused on developing recyclable fabrics using bio-based materials with added functional properties. However, this progress has been followed by the need to find steady and dependable sources of raw material. Now, the team is exploring how this issue can be addressed to reshape Europe’s textile sector into one that is both eco-friendly and resilient.

The BioFibreLoop partner meeting took place last month in Tampere, Helsinki, and marked an important achievement during the first year of the project. During this phase, the DITF team successfully created fibers by blending lignin with cellulose. Unlike cellulose, lignin is not a uniform material. This means the team now needs to find reliable sources of the right kind of lignin from wood processing units across Europe.

“Not all basic types of lignin are suitable for use in textiles, and recent shifts in the market have made sourcing more difficult,” the BioFibreLoop team said. “Some small companies that once produced high-quality lignin have shut down, and larger ones often do not offer the needed grades.”

Since BioFibreLoop hopes to see its biobased textiles adopted by 20 percent of the industry, this unpredictability in lignin supply poses a real challenge. The group explained that creating a strong and steady lignin supply chain is essential not only for the project’s success but also for the long-term future of sustainable textiles.

“This progress will help strengthen Europe’s biobased supply chains,” the project stated, “and make the textile industry’s value chains more resilient to outside challenges.”