Leading Pulp Producer Södra and Lenzing Win ITMF Award for Circular Textile Innovations

Lenzing AG Södra Twins Shooting Foto: Neumayr/Leopold 31.05.2023

(IN BRIEF) The Lenzing Group and Swedish pulp producer Södra have received the ITMF Award 2023 in the “International Cooperation” category for their collaborative efforts in textile recycling and the circular economy. This recognition was presented at the ITMF Annual Conference in China. Since 2021, the two companies have been working together to promote the circular economy in the fashion industry by sharing knowledge and jointly developing processes for recycling cellulose-based used textiles on a commercial scale. Their collaboration has led to innovations like OnceMore® pulp, which is used to create Lenzing fibers with REFIBRA™ technology, enabling the recycling of cotton and polyester blends. The ITMF also acknowledged their joint LIFE TREATS project, which aims to establish a large-scale textile recycling plant in Sweden.

(PRESS RELEASE) LENZING/ VÄXJÖ/ KEQIAO, 6-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The Lenzing Group (VIE: LNZ), an Austria-based world’s leading supplier of specialty fibers, and Swedish pulp producer Södra have been honored with the ITMF Award 2023 in the “International Cooperation” category for their collaborative efforts in textile recycling and the circular economy. The award was presented at the ITMF Annual Conference in Keqiao, China, on November 6, 2023.

The ITMF Award 2023 recognizes exceptional achievements in the textile sector in two categories: “Sustainability & Innovation” and “International Cooperation.” Since 2021, Lenzing and Södra have been working together on textile recycling, contributing significantly to advancing the circular economy in the fashion industry. Their cooperation involves knowledge-sharing and joint development of processes to facilitate the broader utilization of cellulose-based used textiles at a commercial scale.

Stephan Sielaff, CEO of the Lenzing Group, expressed pride in winning the prestigious award, “We are very proud to have won this prestigious award together with our partner Södra. I see this as recognition for our joint work, but also as a mandate to continue working on our vision of creating a circular economy for textiles and reducing the negative impact of the textile industry on the environment.”

The OnceMore® pulp, developed jointly by Södra and Lenzing, serves as a raw material for producing Lenzing fibers with REFIBRA™ technology. The OnceMore® process enables the processing and recycling of a blend of cotton and polyester.

Lotta Lyrå, President and CEO of Södra, highlighted their successful partnership with Lenzing and their shared commitment to developing innovative solutions for a more sustainable future. “This award is proof of our successful collaboration with Lenzing and our shared ability to develop innovative solutions for a more sustainable future. We look forward to further advancing our collaboration and bringing about real change in the textile industry.”

The ITMF also acknowledged the joint LIFE TREATS project (Textile Recycling in Europe AT Scale)¹, supported by a €10 million EU grant under the LIFE 2022² program. The project aims to establish a large-scale plant at Södra’s Mörrum site in Sweden.

Christian Schindler, ITMF Director General, praised the long-term, cross-border cooperation between Lenzing and Södra as a role model for the circular economy transition in the textile industry, “The unique across-the-border and long-term cooperation between Lenzing and Södra is a true role model and important for the circular economy transition in the textile industry. A goal that can only be reached by extensive cooperation among the value chain actors.”

For more information on the ITMF Awards 2023, visit the ITMF website.

¹ Project 101113614 — LIFE22-ENV-SE-TREATS

² https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en

Media contacts:

Dominic Köfner
Vice President Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
+43 7672 701 2743
media@lenzing.com

Åsa Degerman
Manager OnceMore®
+46 703 87 03 42
asa.degerman@sodra.com

SOURCE: LENZING AG