Lenzing fibres are completely biodegradable in fresh water!
Organic Waste System (OWS) recently conducted a test, confirming that Lenzing’s viscose, modal and lyocell fibres are completely biodegradable in all natural and industrial environments.
The testing for the biodegradability of cellulosic products and synthetic fibre polyester was done in fresh water at OWS, following all the valid international standards, like ISO 14851.
At the end of the trial period, it was shown that Lenzing’s wood-based cellulosic fibres like cotton and paper pulp are completely biodegradable in fresh water in contrast to synthetic polyester fibres, said the company in a media statement.
Talking about company’s commitment to sustainability, Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer, Lenzing Group, said “Our group operates a truly circular business model based on the renewable raw material wood to produce biodegradable fibres returning to nature after use. This complete cycle comprises the starting point of the core value of sustainability embedded in our company strategy sCore TEN and is the ‘raison d’etre’ of our company.”
He further stated “In living up to this positioning, we not only enhance the business of our suppliers, customers and partners along the value chain but also improve the state of the entire textile and nonwovens industries.”
The textile and non-woven industries face a huge challenge with respect to littering. If the trend continues, soon there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050. It is important for the legislative bodies worldwide to take necessary steps for preventing the use and dumping of the plastic waste.
The conventional wet wipes and other hygiene products contain more plastic and are, therefore, identified as one of the product categories to be singled out. Therefore, less-polluting alternatives are generally encouraged by NGOs and legislators, for example, products made of biodegradable wood-based cellulosic fibres. These biodegradable materials can be fully converted back to nature by definition and thus do not require recycling.
