EU Eco-label: Lenzing continues to highlight environmental credentials

Lenzing hosted a joint presentation with representatives of the European Eco-label at the latest textile fairs in Paris, Texworld, the fabric fair and at Expofil, the yarn fair.

More and more people make the conscious decision of incorporating values such as sustainability and ecology into their everyday lives – and they want to show it also by the fabrics they use and the clothes they wear. Lenzing as a leading fiber producer continues to highlight its commitment to the ecological soundness of its fibers.

Lenzing is the only fiber producer that received the European Union “Flower" award. The “Flower” stands for a unique certification system that enables consumers to identify environmentally sound products. The award proves Lenzing to be a company that sets new standards for sustainability and ecological technology.

“Lenzing is committed to the concept of sustainability. The EU eco-label again highlights that Lenzing fibers not only have convincing functional properties but are also environmentally sound and natural products. We are convinced that the concept of sustainability will gain more and more importance throughout the entire industry, right up to the final consumer.” says Fritz Weniger, General Manager of Business Unit Textile Fibers at the Lenzing Group.

High environmental standards for process and product

The award criteria are stringent and only the best of any industry will receive the EU Eco-label. The award requires the scientific analysis of the ecological impact of process and product and proof of compliance with the standards specially defined by the European Union must be provided. In pulp and fiber production, the limit values for emissions into air and water must be observed and the chemicals – in particular their biodegradability – are thoroughly assessed. For processor and consumer alike the “Flower” provides certainty: The product they hold in their hands is environmentally sound.

A series of convincing facts document the environmental credentials of Lenzing fibers TENCEL® and Lenzing Modal®:

TENCEL® – the award-winning eco-fiber

  • TENCEL ® is made of the renewable resource eucalyptus wood.

  • The production process for TENCEL®, the revolutionary lyocell technology, received numerous awards, among these the “European Award for the Environment” of the European Union. One of the main reasons, apart from social criteria, was the closed loop production cycle.

  • The natural raw material wood ensures that the properties of TENCEL® are natural and skin-friendly. The fiber's nanofibrillar structure ensures optimum moisture management and thermal regulation. The resulting ease of wear and comfort makes TENCEL® the fiber of choice for home textile applications as well as apparel.

  • Optimum moisture management supports natural bacteriostatic properties without the need for chemical additives. TENCEL® is the purest cellulose fiber and by this the ideal fiber for sensitive skin.

  • TENCEL® is fully biodegradable.

 

Lenzing Modal® - the beech fiber from sustainably managed European forests

Lenzing Modal®

  • is produced at the world’s largest integrated pulp and fiber production site in Lenzing, Austria.

  • is made exclusively of the natural and renewable raw material beech wood

  • Beech wood for Lenzing Modal® originates from sustainably managed forests in Austria and neighboring countries.

  • Integrated production means high utilisation of the raw material from beech wood through to fiber. One of by-products from this sustainable process is a tooth-friendly sweetener, xylitol.

  • Lenzing Modal® is fully biodegradable.

Cellulose: nature's building material

For the Lenzing Group sustainability has been a reality for many years. The natural raw material wood is an important prerequisite for that.


Cellulose is a product of plant photosynthesis. This biochemical process generates organic material from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Sunlight is the source of energy and oxygen, released by the plant, is a by-product. Cellulose is nature’s most important building material and available in abundance. CO2 is not set free until decomposition or combustion and only the exact amount previously absorbed by the plant at composition is released. Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL® are therefore carbon neutral and part of a natural cycle.


Pioneer of chlorine free bleaching

Lenzing’s environmental protection efforts of many years made the company not only the vanguard of the industry but also the competence center for ecological production processes and technology. Thus Lenzing pioneered the development of total chlorine free (TCF) bleaching and the revolutionary lyocell process was designed with the environment in mind.


www.lenzing.com

www.eco-label.com

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Contact:
Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft
4860 Lenzing ∙ Austria

Ms. Christina Kreuzwieser
Phone:  +43 (0)7672 701-2331
Fax:      +43 (0)7672 918-2331
e-mail:   marketing@lenzing.com