Lenzing Botanic Symposium

Unique Symposium, 21.2.2008 in Paris.
The cellulose fiber manufacturers, Lenzing AG, organized an Environmental Symposium in the Botanic Gardens of Paris. This event took place at the same time as the fabric fairs Texworld, Première Vision and Expofil and had as its title the Botanic Symposium.

Lenzing successfully attracted international speakers from environmental organizations and the retail industry who reported on their experience. John Mowbray, editor in chief of  Ecotextile News, acted as moderator. This was the first magazine to report on ecology in the textile industry.

Speakers:

  • Detlef Fischer, Bluesign Technologies AG, Vice President, Germany
    Bluesign, a textile label, established in the year 2000, to guarantee eco-compatible processing steps in the textile industry.
  • Dr. Chlodwig Franz, Institute for Applied Botany and Pharmacognosy, Austria
    First-ever presentation of study instigated by Lenzing concerning plant essences in Lenzing fibers.
  • Rolf Heimann, Hess Natur.Textilien GmbH, Head of Innovation and the environment, Germany
    Hess Natur is the greatest sender of natural textiles in the German speaking area. Heimann presented the holistic concept of Hess Natur with consideration to ethnic and eco-relevant aspects.
  • Li Shen, University of Utrecht, Department of Science for Technology and Society Science, Netherlands
    Presentation of the results of a „Life-Cycle-Assessment“ by order of Lenzing AG. Comparison of the environmental data of synthetic, cellulosic and cotton fibers.
  • Dr. Alfred Strigl, Institute for Sustainable Development, General Manager, Austria
    The institute was founded in 1995 and advises companies with the implementation of sustainability concepts. The talk gave an overview of the current, global sustainability discussion.
  • Marci Zaroff, Under the Canopy, President, USA
    The company was founded in 1996 and was a pioneer in eco fashion in the USA. Zaroff reported on her experience and presented the eco concept.


Textile industry reveals an interest in the environment
The Lenzing Environmental Symposium was greeted with great interest by the textile industry. Despite the textile fairs taking place in a parallel manner, more than 150 interested parties found their way to the amphitheatre of the Botanic Gardens in the centre of Paris. The visitors mainly came from the apparel sector as well as home textiles and Universities.

The event was attended by an international public: France (51), Germany (26), Austria (23), United Kingdom (11), the Netherlands (6), Switzerland (6), Japan (5), Korea (4), Indonesia (4), Italy (3), Slovenia (3), Spain (3), USA (3), Turkey (2), Pakistan (2) and Ireland, Israel, Sweden and Thailand.


Botanic evening event
In the evening of the day of the symposium, Lenzing organized a customer event. More than 180 guests were invited and flocked to the amphitheatre of the Botanic Gardens. With „living botany“ as the motto, the theatre was transformed into a fairy-tale arena. The internationally reputed Austrian story teller, Folke Tegetthoff, wrote a „fairy-tale about Nature“, which puts the spotlight on the naturalness of cellulose fibers. Tegetthoff read the fairy-tale himself, accompanied by a dance performance by the CAPA Show-Group.

A special edition of the fairy-tale itself has been published in both German and English in book form with illustrations from the Slovenian artist, Mojca Sekulic Fo.

  
Detlef FISCHER Dr. Chlodwig FRANZ   Rolf HEIMANN


  
Li SHEN  Dr. Alfred STRIGL John MOWBRAY

 

  
Folke TEGETTHOFF  Marcy ZAROFF   Speakers

 

Botanic Performance:
 
 

 

Contact:
Christina Kreuzwieser
Lenzing AG
Business Unit Textile Fibers 
Head of Global Marketing Communications
A-4860 Lenzing, Austria

Tel.: +43/7672 701 2331
Fax: +43/7672 918 2331
E-Mail: marketing@lenzing.com