Lenzing, Södra & Riopele partners to develop sustainable fabric

Austria’s The Lenzing Group, the world’s leading supplier of specialty fibers, and Sweden’s leading pulp producer Södra, have announced a milestone in their partnership to advance circularity in fashion. For a spring/summer collection by fashion label Filippa K, which will be unveiled to the fashion industry this autumn, the two businesses are creating fabrics created from recycled and sustainably generated materials in collaboration with Portuguese fabric maker Riopele.

It is the first fashion line in the entire world to use Tencel x Refibra lyocell fibers made from the upgraded pulp of the OnceMore brand. The world’s first method for massively recovering textile waste from mixed fabrics is called OnceMore pulp, which Lenzing and Södra jointly developed. Lenzing creates lyocell fibers from it using the ground-breaking Refibra technology in a closed-loop manufacturing process. According to a statement made in a joint press release by The Lenzing Group, Södra, and Riopele, the sustainably produced pilot fibers are then transformed into chic fabrics that Filippa K employs in the line.

Robert van de Kerkhof, chief commercial officer fiber of the Lenzing Group, said that one company could not resolve the urgent problem of textile waste on its own. They are able to advance and effect genuine systemic change thanks to proactive relationships like this. They’re working hard to make their businesses even more sustainable and to advance the shift from a linear to a circular textile business model. For this transition to occur, additional efforts from the entire industry are required.

Jodi Everding, vice president of sustainability at Filippa K, said that they are pleased to be the first company to create goods in the new textile based on OnceMore pulp using Lenzing’s Refibra technology and Riopele’s innovative yarn and fabric production capabilities. This is not just them doing it. In order to develop the sector in a sustainable way, collaboration is a necessary first step. Their goal at Filippa K is to collaborate with companies that share their values and are leaders in their respective industries.

Since 2021, Lenzing and Södra have collaborated on textile recycling, significantly advancing the circular economy in the apparel sector. In order to expand the use of cellulosic used textiles on a commercial scale, the companies want to share their experience and work together to create procedures as part of their partnership. Additionally, Lenzing’s Tencel x Refibra branded specialty fibers will be made using the jointly created pulp OnceMore as a raw material. By 2025, it is planned to be able to treat 25,000 tons of textile waste annually.

Lenzing drives the industry toward a fully-fledged circular economy in keeping with its circular economy vision, “We give waste a new life. Every day,” by working to give waste a new life in every aspect of its core business and by developing circular solutions with potential partners both inside and outside the current value chain. Lenzing has a wealth of experience creating innovative recycling products like its Refibra and Eco Cycle technology. These technologies enable the processing of a significant amount of recycled materials based on pre- and post-consumer cotton scraps and clothing, in addition to virgin dissolving wood pulp.