KELHEIM - Speciality viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres has achieved a leading score in Canopy’s 2020 Hot Button Report.
Overall, Kelheim Fibres ranks among the top five producers in the list and was even able to improve their good previous year’s result in the Canopy system, which closely documents supply chains and is actively supported by numerous leading fashion brands.
Under the terms of the Canopy environmental initiative, companies earn their rankings by being awarded 'green buttons' for completion of CanopyStyle audits, contributions to conservation, using new alternative fibres, robust sourcing policies, transparency and traceability, and sustainable sourcing, with buttons removed for any associations with sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.
While Kelheim – as in 2019 - was assessed as “low risk" of sourcing from Ancient & Endangered Forests, the Bavaria-based firm said it was proud to have invested significantly in “Next Generation Fibre Solutions,” and hopes to reach commercial scale by 2025. Also, highlighted in the report was Kelheim’s increase of the proportion of FSC-certified fibre.
Kelheim said it had also accepted the recommendation to develop an action plan for continuous improvement of their sustainability: With a certification according to ISO 50001 (energy management), certification according to EMAS (expected at the end of 2020), the application to join ZDHC (Roadmap to Zero) and the newly created position of a sustainability manager, the viscose fibre experts have accomplished a considerable success in a short space of time.
“Canopy’s Hot Button Report not only stands for ethically correct raw material sourcing – it is an overall sustainability indicator for viscose fibre producers,” said Matthew North, Commercial Director at Kelheim Fibres. “We are proud of our ranking and will follow this path further: Our fibres offer an ecofriendly
alternative to synthetic materials. That includes certified sustainable raw material sourcing, resource saving and low-emission production processes as well as the continuous search for improvements and future-oriented solutions."
