LENZING, Austria/SAN DIEGO, CA , May 31, 2023-

The Lenzing Group, a world-leading provider of specialty fibers for the textile and nonwoven industries, has received further scientific proof that Lenzing fibers are biodegradable in the ocean and revert to being part of the ecosystem at the end of their life cycle. Scientists at the prestigious academic research institute Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego confirmed back in 2021 that LENZING™ Lyocell fibers completely biodegrade in sea-surface conditions in a remarkably short time. In a second study published in May 20231, the biodegradability of LENZING™ Lyocell fibers, LENZING™ Viscose fibers and LENZING™ Modal fibers on the sea floor was also confirmed, providing definitive proof that they are a better alternative to petroleum-based fibers. The assessments are the result of an independent project aimed at understanding end-of-life scenarios for textiles and nonwovens that are discarded as waste in the environment.

SIO has a global reputation for being one of the oldest, largest and most important marine research centers. In its latest study, it compared the degradation processes of nonwovens made of petroleum and bio-based synthetic materials such as polyester and PLA, cellulosic materials such as cotton, and the Lenzing Group’s wood-based LENZING™ Lyocell fibers, LENZING™ Viscose fibers and LENZING™ Modal fibers in specific scenarios. The materials were assessed in various real oceanic conditions and controlled aquaria conditions. The results of these experiments are striking: while the wood-based cellulosic fibers fully biodegraded within 30 days, both in sea-surface and sea-floor conditions, the petroleum-based fibers tested were practically unchanged after more than 200 days.

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