Lenzing Group, one of the leading global brands in wood-based specialty fibre production, now offers its carbon-neutral fibre portfolio in the workwear and protective wear segments. Lenzing showcased carbon neutral LENZING™ FR fibre at Techtextil Frankfurt in a newly launched collaboration with long-time partner Textil Santanderina. The new offering aims to meet the rising need for sustainability in the workwear and protective wear segments while providing full traceability and transparency of the fibre. Lenzing also extends the carbon neutral TENCEL™ branded fibre offering, which was launched in 2020 through its long-term partnership with the European fabric manufacturer Klopman, to the workwear segment.
Lenzing offers sustainability and transparency together in supply chains
With the environmental awareness that continues to increase in all sectors, organizations across both private and public sectors are looking for ways to become more sustainable, opening a new field for innovative eco-friendly products. As such, Lenzing offers a sustainable cellulosic solution for the protective wear segments with the carbon neutral LENZING™ FR fibre it has developed. This fibre, which meets the definition of ‘inherently flame retardant and resistant fibres’ specified by the European Man-made Fibers Association (CIRFS), offers supply chain transparency as part of Lenzing’s fibre identification technology, in addition to the benefit of reduced carbon footprint. The traceability of the fibre is ensured in all processes, while this technology protects products from counterfeiting.
High-performance LENZING™ FR fibre blends offer a complete concept for firefighters, combining efficient flame and heat protection with improved physiological performance and enhanced comfort. The ‘layers’ concept includes protective wear with direct skin contact like underwear, hoods and gloves, as well as outer layers such as jackets and trousers. Extensive tests on multi-layer garments under the European standard EN469 confirm the effectiveness of LENZING™ FR blends in combining protection and comfort. The product also has numerous different application areas, from military usage to motorsports.
Lenzing AG Protective Wear & Workwear Director Oliver Spöcker said that sustainability is becoming a key driver in the workwear and protective wear segments and emphasized that the future success of workwear and protective wear lies in a combination of performance, comfort and sustainability. Spöcker stated that as Lenzing, they are working to provide solutions that will enable their customers to meet the increasing standards in supply chain transparency and carbon emission reductions.
“There is no other option for the future of our planet”
Textil Santanderina TECHS Manager Angel Parés noted that sustainability is becoming a global priority and in some cases, it is even more than a priority, it is an obligation. Parés stated that they are constantly working on new ways of developing and producing textile products with sustainability at its core, and relayed; “We are proud of being the first company worldwide to work with carbon neutral LENZING™ FR fibres and we would like to thank Lenzing for the opportunity.”
Lenzing first partnered with Klopman more than a decade ago to replace cotton with TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres and then moved forward to another step by using TENCEL™ fibres with REFIBRA™ technology. Klopman takes this partnership one step further by becoming the first company in the workwear segment to use carbon-neutral TENCEL™ fibres. This collaboration represents a growing demand for sustainability as well as performance and functionality in the workwear segment.
Klopman Managing Director Amaury Sartorius, saying; “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Lenzing and the significant growth we have seen over the last ten years,” disclosed that by offering carbon-neutral TENCEL™ fibres in all their collections, they are enabling companies to actively reduce their carbon footprint and align with the updated guidelines for sustainable textile products from governments in the EU. Sartorius disclosed; “There is no other option for the future of our planet than investing all our efforts in saving resources, reusing materials, and optimizing production.”
