Lenzing has announced the launch of Lenzing Modal Edelweiss, a new fiber produced by an eco-friendly manufacturing technology. Lenzing will introduce the new fiber at the fall trade shows.

Lenzing Modal Edelweiss technology features carbon-neutrality, a low need for land and a replenishable raw material of natural origins, thus making Lenzing Modal Edelweiss truly an ecological fiber. Lenzing Modal Edelweiss performs identically to the conventional Lenzing Modal fiber. The fiber properties, softness and color brilliance, remain intact. Even the processing in the textile supply chain is the same.

“The fiber manufacturing plant in Lenzing Austria is the only one in the world which is fully integrated and has all of the production steps, from the pulp to the fiber, perfectly under control,” says Lenzing’s Andreas Dorner.

Lenzing Modal is extracted from beech wood. Beech forests thrive in Northern and Central Europe and shape the landscapes of these regions. The tree is thought to improve the earth since it is a deep-rooting plant and conditions the soil. Beech trees propagate by “rejuvenation” hence there is no need for reforestation or replanting of plantations. Forests grow on marginal land and yield a high cellulose harvest without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides.

More than half of the wood used at Lenzing comes from Austria and the remainder from neighboring countries. Only beech wood from forests managed in compliance with sustainable forestry legislation is used. This means that the biocoenosis of the forest is upheld and it continues to function as a protective shield against natural dangers, a drinking water reservoir, a recreational spot, and natural habitat for animals and plants.

Constantly improving the process integration potential and implementing innovative techniques to further reduce environmental impact have resulted in Lenzing’s pulp factory being a net positive energy producer. The Lenzing pulp factory does not require any additional energy and in fact supplies energy to the entire Lenzing site. Thus Lenzing is a pioneer in the field of wood-organic refineries. These carbon-neutral thermal processing techniques were developed by Lenzing engineers.