Austria's Lenzing fights pollution with new approach to garment dyeing

18 Jul '23

2 min read

Knit fabric samples by using Lenzing's new resource-efficient dyeing approach. Pic: Lenzing Group

Insights

Lenzing's new sustainable technique for garment dyeing is applicable on pre-treated fabrics and yarns made with Tencel Lyocell fibres.
The innovation minimises water, energy, and chemical usage by up to 50 per cent, 40 per cent, and 90 per cent respectively.
The method also doesn't leave dye residue on machinery and hence reduces machine downtime.

Lenzing Group, a leading Austria-based global producer of wood-based specialty fibres, has introduced a new approach that covers yarn pre-treatment and knitting technique to achieve aesthetics that resemble the washdown effects of traditional dyeing in ready-to-wear and knit garments. To address the pollution caused by dyeing and finishing in the textile industry, the new approach will significantly reduce environmental impact and is ideal for use on pre-treated fabrics and yarns made with Tencel Lyocell fibres.

The approach also complements the wet-processing and production facilities of fabric mills, bringing added benefits for value chain partners, Lenzing Group said in a press release.

In traditional dyeing, multiple washes using a significant amount of water, energy, dyes, and chemicals may be required to achieve a designated shade of colour. With the new approach, only one round of dyeing is required, reducing water, energy, and chemical usage by up to 50 per cent, 40 per cent, and 90 per cent respectively.

Rex Mok, vice president of fibre technical marketing and development at Lenzing, said: “As consumers become more conscious of the environmental footprint of their purchases, designers and manufacturers are seeking innovative ways to ensure that the materials and production processes deployed have a low environmental impact, while expanding design possibilities. Our new approach can create wash-down aesthetics or vintage looks on any knit fabric without water-intensive bleaching processes. By overcoming the limitations of traditional dyeing, our new approach is a resource-efficient alternative that helps translate into greater sustainability and more competitive operational costs for fabric mills. We will continue to work with mill partners to drive wider adoption of the new approach and explore new applications within the textile value chain.”

With the new approach’s direct application to Tencel Lyocell fibres or Tencel Lyocell with Refibra technology, different shades of colour, wash-down, or fade-out effects can be customised. This makes it ideal to produce ready-to-wear, knit apparel and denim-looking garments in various colour shades.

Existing regular, organic, or natural dyes used by yarn makers and fabric mills are compatible with the new approach. As yarn and fabric processed with the new approach do not leave dye residue on machines, the same machinery can be used continuously for the production of fabrics or garments of different colours. With machine down-time being minimised when changing colour lots, production delays will be shortened, allowing yarn makers and fabric mills to save costs while enhancing production efficiency and sustainability.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)

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