KELHEIM - Kelheim Fibres's current viscose fibre supply chain has been confirmed as a low risk of sourcing wood from Ancient and Endangered Forests or other controversial sources.
The German fibre manufacturer joined the global CanopyStyle initiative, which closely documents supply chains and is actively supported by numerous leading fashion brands, such as H&M, Zara and Levi Strauss, in 2019.
The confirmation follows the company's first audit from CanopyStyle and third-party auditor NEPCon. “Canopy congratulates Kelheim Fibres for its low risk audit results,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy’s Executive Director. “Producers are increasingly hearing from brands that they will no longer source Ancient and Endangered Forest textiles by the end of 2020. This audit result is a validation of Kelheim’s efforts in that direction and positions it well in a competitive market place.”
Key findings of the audit include:
- The company is at low risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests;
- The company has a limited fibre basket and uses a significant proportion of FSC-certified fibres in its viscose products; and
- The company has begun supporting forest conservation solutions in key areas of Ancient and Endangered Forests.
"Future-oriented fibre materials cannot come at the cost of Ancient and Endangered forests and other valuable resources," said Craig Barker, CEO of Kelheim Fibres. "Therefore, we are committed to focus on sustainability at every step from raw material sourcing and state-of-the-art closed-loops production processes.”
He continued: "As a small producer, we are proud to have accomplished low-risk audit results. We welcome the recommendations the audit report has given us for further improvements and we will actively work towards implementing them.”
In the spirit of continuous improvement, Canopy recommended that the company increase the proportion of FSC-certified fibre, and make efforts to source 100% FSC, as well as continue to invest in research and development of low-impact alternative fibres, with the goal of launching a fibre line that contain these products.
The audit, which reflects a snapshot in time, is to be conducted annually to ensure that Kelheim continues to meet the expectations of the CanopyStyle initiative. The audit findings contribute to Hot Button Issue Report.
The public report from Kelheim Fibre’s audit evaluations is available for download here: www.kelheim-fibres.com/en/sustainability/certificates/
Kelheim Fibres GmbH is the world’s leading producer of viscose speciality fibres and the most important supplier of viscose fibres for the tampon industry. About 90.000 tons of viscose fibres are produced every year at Kelheim in South Germany from the renewable raw material wood. These are used in most diverse applications – from fashion, hygiene and medical products to nonwovens and speciality papers.