Edelweiss – Lenzing’s carbon neutral fibre

Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is a new carbon-neutral fibre, with a low need for land in its production and a replenishable raw material.

It performs identically to conventional Lenzing Modal fibre with properties, softness and colour brilliance remaining intact. Even its processing in the textile and nonwovens supply chains is the same.

Constantly improving the process integration potential and implementing innovative techniques to further reduce environmental impact have resulted in Lenzing’s pulp factory in Austria being a net positive energy producer. The Lenzing pulp factory require sany additional energy and in fact supplies energy to the entire Lenzing site. As a result Lenzing is a pioneer in the field of wood-organic refineries and the carbon-neutral thermal processing techniques were developed by its engineers.

“The fibre manufacturing plant in Lenzing Austria is the only one in the world which is fully integrated and has all of the production steps – from the pulp to the fibre – perfectly under control,” says Lenzing’s Andreas Dorner.

Lenzing Modal is extracted from beech wood. Beech forests thrive in Northern and Central Europe and shape the landscapes of these regions. The tree is thought to improve the earth since it is a deep-rooting plant and conditions the soil. Beech trees propagate by rejuvenation – hence there is no need for reforestation or replanting of plantations. Forests grow on marginal land and yield a high cellulose harvest without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides.

More than half of the wood used at Lenzing comes from Austria and the remainder from neighbouring countries. Only beech wood from forests managed in compliance with sustainable forestry legislation is used.

This means that the biocoenosis of the forest is upheld and it continues to function as a protective shield against natural dangers, a drinking water reservoir, a recreational spot, and natural habitat for animals and plants.