Titled ‘Linear to Circular, the recently released 2021 Sustainability Report by the Lenzing Group emphasizes on the company’s focus on balancing its needs with the spirit of the circular economy.

Lenzing continues to pursue climate neutrality with its two key projects in Brazil and Thailand. The company has also made several investments at sites in China and Indonesia. It aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

Another of Lenzing’s climate change initiatives includes its partnership with Swedish pulp producer Södra. The two companies, which have promoted the circular economy in the fashion industry for several years, have teamed up to reduce global textile waste. They also plan to expand capacities to recover pulp from waste textiles. Their goal is to recycle 25,000 tons of used textiles annually by 2025.

In 2021, Lenzing introduced the first Tencellyocell fibers made from wood- and orange-based fiber pulp. The upcycling of orange peels is part of the Tencel Limited Edition initiative, which is another stop in the company’s effort to develop closed-loop solutions with partners along the value chain. The company also has introduced the first carbon-neutral fibers on the global nonwovens market under the Veocel brand.

The company received several awards worldwide in 2021 for its achievements, especially in the sustainability area. It was one of 14 companies worldwide to receive a AAA rating from global nonprofit environmental organization CDP for its environmental leadership in climate change, water security and forest conservation.

Also, in the EcoVadis CSR rating, Lenzing achieved platinum status for the first time, ranking among the top 1 per cent of companies evaluated worldwide in terms of the environment, fair working conditions and human rights, as well as ethics and sustainable procurement.