Technology and Sustainability | Simple Pleasures | SDW 2022
Technology can be a great ally of sustainability. From robots and drones to A.I. and blockchain, technological innovations have been helping us to come up with solutions for climate change, transparency, traceability and minimizing carbon emissions.
As an innovation leader, The Lenzing Group is a partner of global textile and nonwoven manufacturers and drives many new technological developments, offering solutions to help redirect the sector towards a closed loop economy. Lenzing stands for the ecologically responsible production of specialty fibers made from wood as a renewable raw material and strives for the efficient utilization and processing of all resources.
Lenzing’s high-quality fibers are biodegradable and compostable, and form the basis for a variety of textile applications ranging from elegant clothing to versatile denims and high-performance sports clothing, being also highly suitable for hygiene products and agricultural applications. In order to slow the rate of global warming and accomplish the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement and the EU Commission’s Green Deal, Lenzing has a clear vision to realize a zero carbon future, which includes a three-step plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Alongside decarbonization, a production process with low environmental impact is key in building a closed loop economy. Today, Jeanologia leads the transformation of the textile laundry industry with their disruptive technologies, committed to the Mission Zero: eliminating any waste and pollution generated by the production of denim garments around the world by 2025. Technologies such as laser, G2 ozone, e-Flow, SmartBoxes and H2 Zero are designed by Jeanologia to enhance productivity, reduce water use and energy consumption and eliminate damaging emissions and discharges, guaranteeing zero pollution.
Measuring the production impact can help us improve our processes and transparency. The Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) platform created by Jeanologia has become a worldwide standard for the fashion industry. It is a powerful self-accreditation tool that helps monitor the amount of water, chemicals and energy used in the garment finishing process, as well as the impact it may have on workers’ health.
The Sustainable Denim Wardrobe collection is designed as a showcase for Lenzing’s fibers, primarily TENCEL™ Lyocell. The collection focuses on environmentally responsible fabrics and technologies, and the 2022 collection is no different. A new element in this collection is the use of the eDesigner platform.
In the creative process we looked to reduce the impact of prototyping by using eDesigner software to generate design alternatives and explore garment finishing possibilities digitally, thanks to its enhanced preview render tool. Then, to assess the total impact of the garments’ finishing process, we used the EIM platform.
For the print, we have opted for the digital printing process, which according to FESPA, uses less resources from ink to factory floor. In fact, a study by the Epson Textile Solution Center showed digital printing not only requires less water and energy to operate, but results in a significantly lower carbon footprint when compared to rotary screen printing.
We believe both sustainability and technology are creativity boosters: the former requires us to come up with better solutions and the latter offers a variety of tools to be explored through different techniques. Powerful ingredients for achieving meaningful and innovative results.
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