Lenzing has received accreditation to the EU Ecolabel standard for the production of Ecovero viscose branded fibres at its manufacturing facility in Purwakarta, Indonesia, a move that will see it ramp up production to service the growing demand from across the region.
The site, which recently underwent a series of technical upgrades, will now produce produce Lenzing Ecovero branded fibres for textiles as well as Veocel branded fibres for the nonwovens sector.
With a switch to renewable energy sources also complete, the plant is expected to contribute to Lenzing’s goal of reducing carbon emissions per ton of product by 50% by 2030 and achieving carbon-neutral production by 2050.
Stephan Sielaff, chief executive officer of the Lenzing Group noted that by switching its previous production capacities to specialty viscose, Lenzing was now in a better position to serve the strongly growing demand for environmentally friendly fibres. “We are working tirelessly to make the industries in which we operate even more sustainable and to drive the transformation of the textile business model from a linear to circular,” he said. “I am therefore very pleased that we have now received the EU Ecolabel, which once again confirms our sustainability performance. “Our investments in Indonesia, as well as in other Lenzing sites around the world, put us in an even better position to meet the growing demand for speciality fibres with low environmental impact.”
As well as Ecovero viscose and Veocel viscose for nonwovens, Lenzing said that going forward, it also plans to produce its Ecovero Black fibre at the Purwakarta plant which will significantly reduce water and energy usage in fabric dyeing thanks to a spun-dyeing process with a lower carbon footprint.
The successful conversion of site will allow the expanded production of responsible viscose in Asia-Pacific with a nameplate capacity of 303,000 tonnes per year.
Catering to brands and retailers who serve environmentally-conscious Asian consumers, the converted Purwakarta site’s close proximity to value chain partners in Asia-Pacific enables the transportation of a larger quantity of responsible viscose fibres within a much shorter distance and lead time, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint of the textile supply chain.
Lenzing Ecovero branded viscose fibres have been used in knitwear products such as fashionable tops, dresses, t-shirts, and loungewear. Brands using Ecovero branded viscose fibers inreude top global fashion labels, including M&S, H&M and Levi’s.
“Asia-Pacific presents lots of potential and growth opportunities for us,” added Florian Heubrandner, executive vice president global textiles business at Lenzing. “As brands and retailers continue to reconfigure their manufacturing network, the region has become a convergent of all components of the supply chain from spinners, weavers, knitters to garment makers and sourcing offices.
“As demand for responsible viscose continues to rise in the region, the increased production of responsible viscose in the Purwakarta site will not only allow us to work more closely with our existing customers but also allow us to introduce Lenzing Ecovero to new prospects in the region who are keen to switch from generic viscose to responsible viscose.”
In line with Lenzing’s goals of reducing group-wide CO2 emissions per ton of product by 50% by 2030 and achieving CO2-neutral production by 2050, the converted production site has successfully reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 130,000 tons annually.
