Lenzing and Orange Fiber are revolutionising the fashion industry with the first Tencel™ fibre containing orange cellulose and wood cellulose.
A new partnership has been born, with the aim of encouraging the co-development of innovative solutions to look at by-products as new raw materials, promote greater transparency in the textile industry and achieve fully sustainable industrial practices. It is the one between the Lenzing Group, the world leader in the production of special textile fibres from wood, and Orange Fiber, the Italian company founded in 2014 that has patented and produces sustainable fabrics from citrus by-products and has joined the LifeGate Way ecosystem, the group's subsidiary with the aim of creating a network of sustainable startups focused on open innovation.
As part of the initiative, the Tencel™ Limited Edition — the first Tencel™ x Orange Fiber fibre — is the first fibre produced through the lyocell process composed of orange cellulose and cellulose from certified-forest wood, and is the expression of the union of innovation, creativity and sustainability in the service of eco-responsible fabrics.
A more sustainable future in which waste becomes a new resource with a reduced environmental impact. That is what the Lenzing Group and Orange Fiber are aiming for in the production of this innovative cellulosic fibre, which proves to be a valuable resource for the textile and fashion industry. A future oriented towards the circular economy, the natural response to the demands of an increasingly sustainability-conscious customer base and of those brands that want to take part in the green revolution of a particularly polluting sector.
"Thanks to this pioneering production collaboration, we will be able to contribute to the sustainable revolution of the sector, making an innovative, high-quality product available to all those brands that are looking for transparent, responsible and ecological supply chains," explains Enrica Arena, chief executive officer of Orange Fiber. "With end consumers paying ever greater attention to the environmental impact of their purchases, sustainability is becoming an imperative for the fashion industry, which must evolve in parallel and innovate — starting with the use of sustainable materials — in order to remain efficient, competitive and to help safeguard our planet and future generations."
Meanwhile, Orange Fiber has already set to work to make the fruits of this collaboration available to its clients: a new fabric collection will be launched on the market this coming October 2021.
"The introduction of the Tencel™ Limited Edition consolidates our leadership in sustainable production processes," states Gert Kroner, global vice president of research and development at the Lenzing Group, "and we are proud to collaborate with Orange Fiber on the production of this new series of special, unprecedented fibres. By opening ourselves up to the use of by-products from other supply chains in the creation of our fibres — as in this case, by-products from the citrus industry — we want to take concrete steps towards a more sustainable future in which the environmental impact of every piece of waste can be reduced."
A fruitful collaboration indeed, that between Lenzing and Orange Fiber, which have succeeded in working together towards an eco-conscious transition. And not only that: the exchange of resources and expertise has enabled them to establish themselves as a point of reference in the textile landscape.
