EQS-News

Lenzing presents innovative concept combining sustainable glacier protection and circularity for textiles

EQS-News: Lenzing AG / Key word(s): Sustainability Lenzing presents innovative concept combining sustainable glacier protection and circularity for textiles 21.03.2024 / 14:35 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Lenzing presents innovative concept combining sustainable glacier protection and circularity for textiles

 

• Geotextiles made from biodegradable LENZING fibers to protect glaciers and avoid microplastic pollution
• Network of partners strives to recycle geotextiles at the end of their life cycle to give them a second life as a garment

 

Lenzing – The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose for the textile and nonwovens industries, has created a unique, innovative concept that contributes to the sustainable protection of our glaciers while inspiring collective action for sustainable practices and a circular economy in the nonwovens and textile value chain. The presentation titled “Glacial Threads: From Forests to Future Textiles” took place as part of the International Day of Forests celebrations at the Palais des Nations, United Nations Office, Geneva.

 

The melting of glaciers is being severely impacted by global warming. Geotextiles are used to protect ice and snow. However, the nonwovens used for this are made of fossil-based fibers, which allow microplastics^[1] to enter the valley via streams and may enter the food chain through small organisms and animals. Nonwovens made from cellulosic LENZING fibers, which are biodegradable at the end of their life cycle and can be completely recycled, are the sustainable solution to this problem.[2]

 

The covering of a small area with the new material made from LENZING fibers was tested for the first time during a field test on the Stubai Glacier. Four meters of ice were saved from melting. This was confirmed in a study conducted by the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian glacier lift operators on the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol (Austria). In 2023, the pilot project was successfully extended to all Austrian glaciers used by tourists. “We are delighted with the positive results and see the project as a sustainable solution for glacier protection – not only in Austria, but also beyond the country’s borders,” says Berndt Köll, Emerging Business Development at Lenzing.