Inside Lenzing's sustainable fibre Ecovero

(life) Sustainability is the talk of the town, especially in the glittering and aspirational world of fashion. Behind the scenes, as stakeholders begin to question the unsustainable practices and cloth-filled landfill pollution, and the demand for greener raw materials has shot up.

What goes into the making of a truly sustainable product that is as good for the planet as profits for fashion businesses? An Austrian wood-based fibre producer Lenzing might have some answers.

Lenzing, which has production facilities in Austria and China, manufactures Ecovero, a plant-based viscose fiber which is a hundred per cent degradable in soil, water and in compost within 12-18 weeks.

It has made headway into the Indian market with Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019, as Indian fashion designers Abraham & Thakore launched their Kurta collection created with sustainable viscose fibre.

What makes it sustainable and eco-responsible?

"The process has to be sustainable right from renewable sourcing of the raw material, to production, distribution and how it composts when it goes back to the soil," Avinash Mane, Commercial Head, South Asia, Lenzing AG answered.

"We have a raw material sourcing policy in place which ensures that we're not damaging the endangered forests. The wood that's making this comes from forests which are based in, Alps and Africa. In these forests also you have designated forests and designated trees which are required to be taken for this manufacturing," Mane told life in an interview.

He added that there are specific kinds of trees which are used here, and Ecovero typically would come from a combination of eucalyptus, beech wood and spruce wood. Worldwide, 1.5 per cent of the felled trees go for fibre manufacturing, rest predominantly are used for furniture and paper.

In the manufacturing process, Lenzing claims to use 50 per cent less water and energy, which their mainstay being bio energy.

To verify authenticity, Lenzing also puts a permanent tracer into its product, which remains throughout the life of the product till it is destroyed.

"If any retailer or anybody in the supply chain wants to check if it is Ecovero or not, they can just send the product to a Lenzing office and it can be quickly identified quickly whether it is a real sustainable product or not."

With leading brands like J.Crew, AND, and Zara, converting to sustainable fabrics in part, the product is also growing corporate adoption in India.

It has roped in aspirational brands like House of Anita Dongre, to retailers like Global Desi, Future Group, Max and global players like Marks & Spencer, H&M, Jockey and Levi's.

Mane also feels that at the consumer level, Europe is very cautious, at sustainability is given importance. On the contrary, in India, he feels the determining factors for a purchase are colour, texture and feel and then the fabric.

"Compare it against the consumer of Europe, the first thing they will look at whether it is sustainable or not. Their decision may change if the product is not sustainable even though it may be as per their choice of colour, style and all other elements. So, that way the consumer is much, much more mature in Europe as compared to the rest of the world."

What's next more is planned in the future to increase mass market penetration in India?

The basic thing is to make the product available at a reasonable price point. "The textile segment is very price sensitive. So, we are ensuring local availability of our raw material with local warehousing so there's no wait for products from Europe and China.

"Secondly, making this product in a cost effective way with our supply chain partners. We make this yarn available a very nominal upcharge as compared to conventional product. Then the next stage to work with the fabric mills and then make the finished fabric also available at a very minimal upcharge - upto 3-5 per cent."

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@.in)

( With inputs from IANS )