“Our Goal is to Ensure that Turkey Becomes a Base in Sustainable Textiles”
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı
İlkşen Dedeoğlu Demiray, Head of Business Development at Lenzing Group said, “Turkey has become the 4th country exporting the most textiles to the world. Our goal is to ensure that Turkey, which has such an important share in world exports, becomes a base in sustainable textiles together with our domestic producers.”
Austria-based Lenzing Group, a well-established company of 85 years, produces environmentally friendly special fibres from renewable raw materials wood. As one of the world’s largest cellulosic fibre producers, the company is the innovation leader in the sector in the field of sustainability. The company carries out its sustainability strategy in line with three key principles: partnering for change, promoting the circular economy and greening the value chain. It also actively struggles priority environmental issues such as climate protection, resource efficiency and biodiversity. The raw material of the company consists of renewable certified wood resources. It develops innovations that set standards in the industry, from the use of water and energy in production processes. For example, with Lenzing™ Ecovero™ Black, offers consumers and producers a fabric that is more environmentally friendly by consuming less energy and water, obtained by processing black pigments into the fibre solution during the production phase.
As Tekstil Teknoloji magazine, we interviewed with İlkşen Dedeoğlu Demiray, Head of Business Development at Lenzing Turkey. Demiray talked about Lenzing’s sustainable production activities, its position in the world and Turkish market and the projects they have developed regarding recycling. Here are the highlights of the interview…
“Many brands both in Turkey and in the world have started to add sustainable products to their collections”
How have wood-based fibres such as ‘viscose’, ‘modal’ and ‘lyocell’ added value to the environment, nature, people and biodiversity? In which areas are these fibres more popular?
The raw material of our products consists of wood, that is, a natural material. Therefore, we produce with a consciousness that respects the environment from the raw material stage to the production chain and shipment. It is a fact that the rate of sustainable fibre usage in the fashion industry is not at the desired levels. However, it is a promising development that the increasing demand by consumers encourages manufacturers to produce sustainable textile products. It is a fact that the rate of sustainable fibre usage in the fashion industry is not at the desired levels. However, it is a promising development that the increasing demand by consumers encourages manufacturers to produce sustainable textile products. Both globally and in Turkey, more and more brands have started to add sustainable products to their collections. We think that this increase will cover a significant part of the collections in the coming period and that circular fashion will lead the transformation of the textile industry. As Lenzing, we develop innovations in a wide range of areas from denim to active wear, from footwear to home textiles in order to popularise the use of sustainable textiles and set a standard for the industry. The positive feedback we receive from textile manufacturers in the Turkish market gives us hope for the future of sustainable textiles.
Can you share some of the brands that use Lenzing’s cellulosic fibres?
As Lenzing, we cooperate with many big brands in the world that have sustainability on their agenda and work together in processes that can reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry. The number of brands that attach importance to sustainability is rapidly increasing in Turkey. Among the world brands that use Lenzing fibres are; Massimo Dutti, Zara, Mango, Lacoste. In Turkey, there are brands such as Yargıcı, Mavi, Perspective as well as Muun, Lando Studio and Jimmy Key. In June, Muun brand brought a sustainable collection called Joyfull Nature to its stores using Tencel™ fibres. Right after, Jimmy Key prepared the Comfy Mood collection in cooperation with our Tencel™ brand. We contributed to the creation of a sustainable collection by collaborating with Mavi Jeans, one of the brands representing our country abroad in the field of textile. In home textiles, we have also signed a pioneering cooperation in the field of sustainable home textiles with the Penelope brand.
“Refibra™ Technology Prevents Textile Waste from Going to Landfill”
The waste problem in textiles is very serious. It is said that the fashion industry creates 90 million tonnes of waste annually. How did Refibra technology developed by Lenzing for the waste problem contribute to the sector?
As Lenzing, we developed Refibra™ recycling technology to increase resource efficiency and find a solution to the global textile waste problem. This technology plays an important role in promoting circularity in the industry by utilising post-consumer textile waste. Tencel™ x Refibra™ fibres contain 30% recycled raw material using textile waste. In this way, textile waste is included in the system and thus in the circular economy. Refibra™ technology prevents textile waste from going to waste.
We have recently integrated this technology into Lenzing™ Ecovero™ branded viscose fibres. Thanks to this technology with up to 20% recycled raw material content from post-consumer textile waste, we offer a new solution to combat global textile waste. We aim to increase this ratio in the future.
“Sustainability has become a necessity rather than an alternative”
The fashion industry has a poor track record when it comes to sustainability and the environment. Do you think the fashion industry can keep up with the wind of change needed to meet the long-term sustainability challenges?
According to World Bank data; textile production processes are responsible for % of global water pollution and the textile industry is the second industry that pollutes clean water resources the most. 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced by the fashion industry every year. By 2030, the total amount of annual waste is expected to reach 148 million tonnes. In addition, the recycling rate from fibre to fibre is around 1% at most. All this signals us that sustainability in the textile industry has become a necessity rather than an alternative. Considering the size of the fashion industry, we can say that we are still at the very beginning of the process.
As Lenzing, we not only develop circularity-related targets internally and implement them in our production processes, but also lead the entire industry. With the consultancy we provide to textile brands, we explain step by step how to make the processes more sustainable and implement them together. Every year, within the framework of the ‘Find the good’ environmental responsibility campaign, we lead brands to create perception and encourage consumers in this area. Our motto that has not changed for years is “We all have a lot to do for a sustainable world.”
Clothing has so many supply chain stages that it is extremely difficult to tell how ethical and transparent a finished garment is. In the name of traceability and transparency in the supply chain, as Lenzing, you have started a practice that increases transparency. How will this application work, what will be the gains?
As Lenzing, in order to address the increasing supply chain problem in the textile industry, we have started an application that can be a pioneer for the industry by collaborating with project44, a global supply chain solutions company. With this cooperation, we have taken an important step towards increasing the transparency and efficiency of the supply chain with the “real-time transoceanic shipment tracking monitoring system for transoceanic shipments”. We have create a fully integrated, real-time application programming interface (API) with our partner project44’s “Movement” platform. We developed a system by combining this technology with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), GPS sensors and machine learning technologies. Thanks to this system, we now support our customers with accurate real-time information about their fibre orders, including shipment status, container location, vessel route tracking and estimated arrival times at ports around the world. In addition, the Lenzing Fibre Recognition System ensures quality control and authenticity by recognising our customers’ Lenzing™ fibres at every stage of production. These are very important developments that lead the sector. As not only us but also our business partners increase their demands to minimise their carbon footprint, we increase our efforts to support them with our consultancy and services.
Can you tell us about the future of TENCEL™, which is defined as the fibre of the future, in the global market?
With Tencel™, the flagship brand of the Lenzing Group, we have been leading the development of fibre solutions for the apparel and home textile segments by breaking new ground in the industry through environmentally friendly production processes since 1992. Cellulosic origin and biodegradable Tencel™ brand modal and lyocell fibres are the perfect choice for brands aiming for sustainable textile production with their smooth texture, long-lasting softness, colour vibrancy and colour retention properties. Product brands under Tencel™ include Tencel™ Active, Tencel™ Denim, Tencel™ Home, Tencel™ Intimate, Tencel™ Luxe and Tencel™ for Footwear.
Tencel™ Lyocell fibres are versatile and can be combined with a wide range of textile fibres to improve the aesthetics and functionality of fabrics. It also offers unlimited design possibilities for manufacturers and designers as well as advantages such as humidity management for consumers. Tencel™ Modal fibres can be blended with other fibres and processed on conventional machines. In this way, it significantly increases the comfort and comfort of fabrics. Due to all these features, the advantages it offers for both consumers and manufacturers create a great potential for the global sustainable textile market.
Can you tell us about Lenzing’s position in the Turkish market? Why is Turkey important for Lenzing?
According to the Ministry of Trade, Textile and Raw Materials Exports 2021 Report; Turkey’s textile exports increased to 16.2 billion dollars in 2021, while its share of the world market was 4.2%. Turkey has become the 4th country exporting the most textiles to the world. These data actually show us the importance of Turkey for Lenzing. Our goal is to ensure that Turkey, which has such an important share in world exports, becomes a base in sustainable textiles together with our domestic producers. We come together with the representatives of the textile industry in certain periods in order to draw attention to the importance of sustainable textiles and to ensure that Turkey gets the share it deserves in responsible and sustainable textile production. We held the first of these meetings, which we call “Lenzing Meetings”, in Bursa, the heart of the textile industry in May, and the second one with home textile manufacturers from Denizli in September. We aim to raise awareness in the field of sustainable textiles by organising Lenzing Meetings in other cities in the coming period.
“The raw material for our products is wood from certified forests in Austria”
You are a company that produces fibre from wood. Therefore, wood purchases must be important for your company. What are your tree purchasing criteria? Does Lenzing carry out sustainable afforestation projects?
The raw material for our products is wood from certified forests in Austria. We have a very strict wood purchasing and utilisation policy. We only use FSC® and PEFC® certified sources, i.e. sources with certified sustainability. Lenzing’s production facilities are also Chain of Custody certified. Tencel™ Lyocell and Tencel™ Modal fibres, which have the EU Ecolabel, support sustainability in the textile industry with both sustainable production processes and feel-good properties.
Likewise, the fibres and filaments used by our Tencel™ brand are sourced from certified and controlled sources that comply with the strict guidelines of the Lenzing Wood and Pulp Policy. It can be produced with environmentally friendly production processes, composted and biodegradable. Thus, it can completely return to nature. Production processes are determined by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) BioPreferred® Programme.
