Lenzing and Södra’s Circularity Collaboration Earns an ITMF Award
Since 2021, Austrian wood-based fiber supplier Lenzing and Swedish pulp producer Södra have been working together to advance circular materials. Recently, this joint effort received an International Cooperation award from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation.
The award was presented to Lenzing and Södra during the ITMF’s Annual Conference on Nov. 6 in Keqiao, China. In addition to five International Cooperation awards, the ceremony recognized five Sustainability & Innovation award winners.
“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,” said Christian Schindler, director general of the ITMF. “A goal that can only be reached by extensive cooperation among the value chain actors.”
This partnership between Lenzing and Södra pools the companies’ respective expertise to create new circular processes for the fashion industry and advance the commercial use of recycled cellulosic fibers. As part of this alliance, Södra launched OnceMore®, a pulp product co-developed with Lenzing that incorporates cotton-polyester textile waste. This pulp is being used as an input for Lenzing’s circular REFIBRA™ technology.
“We are very proud to have won this prestigious award together with our partner Södra,” said Stephan Sielaff, CEO of the Lenzing Group. “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.”
Although this partnership crosses countries, it is centered in Europe, and Lenzing and Södra received a 10 million-euro grant from the E.U. for this circularity and recycling work. The funds will go toward the construction of a large-scale plant for OnceMore® at Södra’s Mörrum production site in Sweden.
“This award is proof of our successful collaboration with Lenzing and our shared ability to develop innovative solutions for a more sustainable future,” said Lotta Lyrå, president and CEO of Södra. “We look forward to further advancing our collaboration and bringing about real change in the textile industry.”
This is the second year in a row that Lenzing was honored by the ITMF. In 2022, our TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology fibers received a Sustainability & Innovation award.