Austria's Lenzing's Ecovero fibre production hits 300K tons in 2022

With production capacity in Austria, China, and soon in Indonesia, Lenzing Ecovero is expanding its footprint across the world. This increase in production capacity comes at a timely moment as demand for eco-responsible fibres continues to rise, driven by the growing preference for sustainability from consumers and brands alike, Lenzing said in a press release.

India was the first country to launch Lenzing Ecovero fibres in 2019. The product was introduced at the Lakme Fashion Week in collaboration with Abraham & Thakore, for their Kurta collection. Since its launch more and more designers as well as major retailers have embraced Lenzing Ecovero fibres including Ritu Kumar, House of Anita Dongre, Future Group, Myntra’s inhouse brands, including Roadster, Mast & Harbour, Dressberry, and House of Pataudi. Lenzing Ecovero fibres has continued its growth through partnerships with multinational companies that sell clothing manufactured of Lenzing Ecovero fibres in India, including Levis, H&M, Zara, Jack n Jones, Vero Moda, Only, etc.

“As we celebrate our milestone of over 300,000 tons produced, we look forward to achieving even higher capacity in 2023 with the addition of a new site for Lenzing Ecovero fibre production,” said Caroline Ledl, head of product management textiles at Lenzing. “With the increase in Lenzing Ecovero capacity, our value chain partners and brands can benefit from better fibre availability to support their sustainability targets at a very competitive cost. Through efficient supply chains and the support of our teams around the world, brands can keep the additional cost for transitioning from conventional viscose to eco-responsible viscose within a very small range.”

In 2022, more than 500 brands have certified their products with Lenzing. Brands including Orta and Farm Rio have proudly communicated their sustainability commitments by highlighting their use of Lenzing Ecovero fibres in promotion campaigns. Other renowned brands which have used Lenzing Ecovero fibres in their collections include European fashion powerhouses Massimo Dutti, Lacoste, ba&sh, Zara, Mango, H&M, Jack and Jones, Vero Moda, Only, Tom Tailor, and Lindex; denim brands American Eagle, Levi’s, and Tommy Hilfiger; retail giants Kmart Australia, Target Australia, and Marks & Spencer as well as brands such as Guess, Forever New, Shona Joy, Myntra, Calzedonia, Trenery, Arnhem, ELK, Mambo Australia, and Mambo Surf De Luxe.

“When we first launched the Lenzing Ecovero brand, there were only a few suppliers and brands who started their sustainable viscose journey with us. Five years later, Lenzing Ecovero fibres are now available through hundreds of yarn spinners in all major textile markets and have found their way into countless brand collections,” said Harold Weghorst, vice president of global marketing and branding at Lenzing AG. “More and more brands choose Lenzing Ecovero not only for its strong sustainability credentials, but for the traceability and transparency we stand for. As concerns about greenwashing across the value chain continue to grow, it is increasingly important for brands to be able to confidently make their good choices visible.”

A backbone for transparency in the supply chain, Lenzing’s innovative Fibre Identification technology enables Lenzing Ecovero fibres to be identifiable in the fabric and in the final product, providing brands with full traceability and protection from counterfeiting. New initiatives to make the technology more accessible and impactful will be rolled out in 2023, added the release.

The company’s sustainability efforts are widely recognised in the industry, as it took the top spot in Canopy’s 2022 Hot Button Ranking and Report which examined the performance of viscose producers in protecting endangered forests.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)