The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of specialty fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, is taking another successful step towards achieving a circular future together with the Swedish pulp producer Södra. The project is supported by an EU subsidy of 10 m euros as part of the Life 2022 program to further develop textile waste recycling on an industrial scale.

Under the banner of “Life Treats” (Textile Recycling in Europe AT Scale) [2], both companies are pooling their decades-long experience, knowledge and technology to develop the unique “OnceMore” process in this project, which is co-funded by the EU. Lenzing will play a particularly crucial role in this process by deploying its expertise in recycling and its “Refibra” technology. This will enable a variety of complex, colored textiles (containing a mixture of cotton, polyester, and other components including elastane) to be processed and recycled in the future. In the second quarter of 2023, a significant next step will commence and continue for a duration of four and a half years. This step involves the construction and management of a facility for collaborative process development and an expansion of the “OnceMore” process. The aim is to enable the production of 60,000 t of pulp at Södra's plant in Mörrum, Sweden. This pulp will consist of 50% recycled material and 50% renewable pulp sourced from sustainable forestry. The joint project will also make a significant contribution to the European Union's circularity action plan, with support from the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

“As the first large-scale project of its kind, Life Treats will have a positive influence on the textile industry as a whole, create new circular business opportunities and increase the share of recycled fibers in new clothing,” comments Åsa Degerman, Manager of “OnceMore” at Södra.

“Tackling the problem of textile waste requires a systematic approach, as well as technological solutions on an industrial scale,” says Sonja Zak, Head of Textile Sourcing & Cooperations at the Lenzing Group. “The Life Treats project therefore follows an integrated approach to achieve real change and reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of the textile industry in the EU and beyond,” she adds.

Planned legislation such as the amendment to the EU’s Waste Framework Directive, increasing user responsibility, the decline in export markets for used textiles, and the deterioration in the quality of collected textiles all point to significant changes in the textile waste treatment environment in the future. This is another reason why partnerships like the one between Lenzing and Södra are essential for systemic change.

[2] Project 101113614 — LIFE22-ENV-SE-TREATS