LENZING - Nonwovens fabric manufacturer Suominen has become Lenzing’s first partner to adopt the industry’s first carbon neutral Veocel branded lyocell fibres.
Carbon neutral Veocel lyocell fibers were first introduced by Lenzing in June 2021 as a solution for nonwovens industry partners and brands to reduce climate impact through the use of fibres with a net-zero carbon footprint.
“Recently, an industry-wide shift towards carbon neutrality has been observed in Europe, with many companies transforming to an eco-friendly business model. With Veocel and Suominen coming together to offer carbon neutral fibres for nonwovens in Europe, we hope to address the growing demand from brands and consumers for products with a reduced carbon footprint,” said Jürgen Eizinger, Senior Commercial Director EU/AM/MEA at Lenzing. “The Veocel brand will remain committed to reducing the impact of climate change by offering innovative solutions for our nonwovens partners, paving the way for a net-zero nonwovens industry.”
The European Climate Law requires that greenhouse gas emissions and removals are balanced within the European Union by 2050 at the latest, with the aim of achieving negative emissions thereafter to curb climate change. The nonwovens industry as a whole still uses many fossil-based materials and requires a significant amount of energy for production processes. Achieving decarbonization within the nonwovens supply chain may take many years, as well as a collaborative effort across the value chain.
The partnership between Veocel and Suominen to offer carbon neutral Veocel Lyocell fibers will allow Suominen to achieve its sustainability goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Alongside the collaboration with Lenzing, Suominen has also recently launched its first carbon neutral nonwovens product. Biolace Zero is a sustainable and carbon neutral product made of 100% Veocel Lyocell fibers. It is currently available in all of Suominen’s plants across Europe.
“The growing demand for sustainable products with less greenhouse gas emissions is a strong driver in the market. Sustainable products made of renewable fibres and carbon neutrality corresponds with market needs and acts as leader in the market,” said Marika Mäkilä, Senior Manager, Category Management, Europe at Suominen. “As a long-time partner of Lenzing, we share a joint mission to reduce the environmental impact of our products. Adhering to our purpose of expanding the possibilities of nonwovens, we hope that this collaboration will show the wider supply chain that, together, we can make net-zero possible.”
As a driver of change for the nonwovens industry, Lenzing says it will continue to bring together like-minded partners such as Suominen to develop innovative solutions that offer raw materials with a net-zero carbon footprint, while at the same time fostering Lenzing’s strategic commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions per ton of product by 50 percent by 2030 and to be climate-neutral by 2050. This reinforces Lenzing’s pledge to the Science Based Targets initiative around reduction of total global carbon emissions, a quest driven by the UN Paris Agreement.
