Lenzing is teaming up with pulp producer Södra, headquartered in Växjö, Sweden, on the further development of OnceMore Pulp produced from textile waste.

The plan involves the transfer of knowledge between the two companies which have been proactively driving the circular economy many years and following joint development and a capacity expansion, OnceMore Pulp will be used as a raw material for the production of Lenzing’s Tencel x Refibra branded specialty fibres.  The two companies are aiming to turn an annual 25,000 tons of textile waste per year into the new product by 2025.

The OnceMore process combines wood cellulose with up to 50% textile waste content to create a pure, high-quality dissolving pulp which can be used to produce new clothing and other textile products.

“The cooperation with Södra is a major milestone towards achieving our ambitious climate and sustainability goals. We are proud to be able to go this way with a competent partner.

“One company alone cannot solve the pressing issue of textile waste,” said Christian Skilich, member of the managing board of Lenzing. “It is proactive partnerships like this one that will enable us to move forward and bring about real systemic change.”

“With OnceMore pulp, Södra has created a globally unique solution for basing textiles on a recycled source,” added Lotta Lyrå, President and CEO of Södra.  By joining forces with Lenzing, we will bring world-class recycling to the textile value chain. Through a new investment, we will also increase our production capacity for OnceMore pulp ten-fold during 2022 and have a higher level of recycled textile content. These are important steps towards our long-term target of creating a circular textile industry.”

www.lenzing.com