Metrics
Resource inflows
[E5-4 30]
Lenzing’s main resource inflows are wood, dissolving wood pulp, chemicals, fuels and water. The consolidated weight of materials can be found in the table “Resource Inflows” below.
Wood and dissolving wood pulp
Wood as a material is part of the natural carbon cycle and as such is renewable, provided that sustainable forest management is applied. Processing wood into fibers requires a special quality of pulp referred to as dissolving wood pulp. The Lenzing Group’s current nominal capacities for dissolving wood pulp amount to 320,000 tons at the Lenzing site (Austria), 300,000 tons at the Paskov site (Czech Republic) and 600,000 tons at the Indianópolis site (Brazil). For the locations of Lenzing’s pulp factories, please see the “Lenzing Group locations” chapter.
In addition to producing its own dissolving wood pulp, Lenzing also sources dissolving wood pulp from the global market, mostly through long-term supply contracts. Eucalyptus, pine and spruce are the predominant wood species used by Lenzing’s pulp suppliers. Beech, birch, ash, maple as well as other hardwoods and softwoods are also processed. The actual tree species used vary by region and quality requirements. All wood originates from sustainably managed forest operations that are certified or controlled under leading forest certification schemes. An overview of the principal species by region can be found in the “Annex”. Lenzing ensures that all purchased pulp is bleached using either totally chlorine-free (TCF) or elemental chlorine-free (ECF) processes. Furthermore, 100 percent of Lenzing’s wood or pulp suppliers are regularly assessed and certified or controlled according to FSC® or PEFC standards.1 For more information on FSC® and PEFC certifications, please see the “Sourcing” section of the “G1 Business conduct” chapter.
Chemicals
The most important chemicals for Lenzing, accounting for around 85 percent of the total purchased volume, include carbon disulfide (CS2), N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), sulfur (S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), spin finishings, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). Lenzing applies the best available techniques for solvent recovery in its viscose/modal and lyocell production processes, thereby reducing the need for primary raw materials. In lyocell manufacturing, up to 99.8 percent of the used NMMO can be recovered and reused. Carbon disulfide and other chemicals used to produce viscose and modal fibers can be recovered and returned to the process in place of raw materials or converted to sodium sulfate, a marketable co-product.
Lenzing endeavors to source its chemicals as regionally as possible. However, despite an intensive search for a regional NMMO source, this chemical currently cannot be sourced regionally. For Lenzing, “regionally sourced” means sourced from the same country, or the neighboring country, of the location of the respective production facility. For more information on regional sourcing, please see the “Sourcing” section in the “G1 Business conduct” chapter.
Lenzing engaged in extensive dialog with its suppliers to explore options for sourcing sodium hydroxide with reduced associated GHG emissions. For more information on supplier engagement efforts to reduce GHG emissions, please see the “Actions” section in the “E1 Climate change” chapter.
Fuels
Pulp and fiber production is an energy-intensive process, with about two-thirds covered by fuels from renewable resources at Lenzing. For more information on fuels, please see the “Energy and fuels” section in the “E1 Climate change” chapter. In alignment with its objectives, Lenzing was the first cellulose fiber producer to establish concrete science-based targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce GHG emissions and fossil-based fuels, respectively.
Water
Water is a valuable resource that is necessary for Lenzing’s manufacturing processes. Further details on water and its recycling are provided in the “E3 Water and marine resources” chapter.
Packaging
Chemicals are delivered in different forms of packaging, such as containers and big bags. Lenzing has implemented take-back systems with its suppliers in order to reduce packaging waste. These systems not only ensure proper disposal but also facilitate the reuse of packaging material.
Dissolving wood pulp is transported in freight cars and trucks, while fiber bales are shipped in plastic films. This is necessary for product protection and transportation. Lenzing products require few packaging materials given the product-to-packaging weight ratio and low share of packaging materials in total material inflows. The recycling of packaging for fiber bales lies outside of Lenzing’s operational system boundary due to a lack of control and influence on the downstream customer. Nonetheless, the company is currently evaluating potential reductions in packaging waste deriving from goods sold.
The management of packaging waste is a responsibility shared between Lenzing and its business partners. Proper disposal, participation in recycling programs and take-back systems can significantly contribute to reductions in packaging waste.
Property, plant and equipment
For Lenzing’s fiber and pulp production plants, please see the “The locations of the Lenzing Group” section in the Annual Report.
Prior to the pulping process, large equipment is required for debarking and chipping wood logs, supported by warehouses and conveyor systems for intermediate storage. Wood chips and process chemicals are converted into pulp and cooking liquor by various digesters, boilers and tanks. Additional process units for washing, screening and bleaching as well as drying chambers and sheet presses complete the set of systems required for pulp production. Residual cooking liquor is processed in multiple recovery systems where valuable substances are separated through condensation units as well as extraction and fractionating columns.
The production process for cellulose fibers involves an array of equipment to spin the cellulose dope into fibers, including tanks, various drums, reaction chambers, dryers and filtration systems. Key equipment for the spinning steps includes spinneret devices, followed by machinery for stretching and cutting staple fibers, as well as washers, purification units and dryers. Fibers are pressed into bales, wrapped in plastic foil and finally stored in bale warehouses before being transported by rail.
Both viscose/modal as well as lyocell fiber production entails equipment for the recovery of process chemicals including boilers, filtration and purification units, extraction columns, ovens and catalysts. The production of biorefinery and co-products involves storage towers and packaging units.
[E5-4 31]
|
2025 |
2024 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall total weight of products and technical and biological materials used during the reporting period (mn t) |
4.35 |
4.85 |
||||
Percentage of biological materials (and biofuels used for non-energy purposes) that are sustainably sourced (% of total products and materials used)1 |
81% |
72% |
||||
Absolute weight of secondary reused or recycled components, secondary intermediary products and secondary materials used to manufacture the undertaking’s products and services (mn t) |
1.84 |
2.33 |
||||
Percentage of secondary reused or recycled components, secondary intermediary products and secondary materials used to manufacture the undertaking’s products and services (%)2 |
42% |
48% |
||||
|
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[E5-4 32, MDR-M 77a]
The “Resource Inflows” table presents Lenzing’s material inflows for the years 2025 and 2024 expressed as total weights of technical and biological materials. The most important raw materials (chemicals, wood and pulp) used to manufacture Lenzing’s products and the packaging of Lenzing’s products are included. The data is compiled from all Lenzing production sites and based on direct measurements (weighting) of the raw materials input into the manufacturing processes. The input of a raw material is defined as the purchased amount, adjusted for changes in storage levels. This data is released monthly by the sites’ operations or purchasing departments and entered into the Group database, where it is consolidated at the Group level.
Sustainably sourced biological materials, primarily wood and pulp, account for 81 percent of the total material input by weight. All (100 percent) biological materials are sustainably sourced, as all wood originates from well-managed forest operations certified or controlled according to the FSC® and PEFC certification schemes.1 For more information on these schemes, please see the “Sourcing” section of the “G1 Business conduct” chapter. For more information on cascading principles of biological materials, please see the “Biorefinery for pulp production” section of this chapter.
Chemicals and solvent recovery are reflected in the high percentage of secondary or reused materials (42 percent). The volume of recovered substances is based on direct measurements (flow meter readings) of the recovered chemicals.
Resource outflows
[E5-5 33, 35]
Lenzing’s main product outflows are regenerated cellulose fibers, which are used in applications such as clothing, home textiles, personal care and hygiene products. The fiber portfolio comprises three types of fibers: lyocell, modal and viscose (rayon). Pulp and other biorefinery products as well as co-products from fiber production are sold to other industries.
To meet the needs of some of Lenzing’s stakeholders, the following ESRS datapoints that are not material for Lenzing are voluntarily added to the “Annex” of this report: E5-5 37, 39 Waste.
Biorefinery and co-products
[E5-5 35]
Lenzing sells its biorefinery and co-products such as LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased, LENZING™ Furfural Biobased, xylose (wood sugar)2, LENZING™ Soda Ash and LENZING™ Magnesium-Lignosulfonate Biobased to other industries.
Natural circularity
[E5-5 34a i]
Biodegradability
Lenzing’s fibers consist of cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer, which is inherently biodegradable and mainly obtained from the renewable raw material wood. Wood is part of the biological cycle.
LENZING™ Lyocell, Modal and Viscose Standard fibers are certified by TÜV Austria as biodegradable and compostable.3 The property of these fibers to biodegrade safely in the natural environment enables the cellulose material loop to close in accordance with the biological cycle.
A 2023 study conducted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) offers scientific evidence that LENZING™ Lyocell Standard fibers, LENZING™ Viscose Standard fibers and LENZING™ Modal Standard fibers biodegrade in both sea-surface and deep-sea conditions.4 This research confirms that these fibers can return to the ecosystem at the end of their life cycle. Scientists at SIO at the University of California, San Diego, had previously established in 2021 that LENZING™ Lyocell Standard fibers completely and rapidly biodegrade in sea-surface conditions.5
Biodegradability of regenerated cellulose fibers compared to natural cellulose fibers.
A study by Hydra Institute in 20256
Cellulose, the most abundant natural polymer, occurs both in native plant fibers, such as cotton, and as regenerated fibers, such as viscose, modal and lyocell. The environmental fate of regenerated fibers remains debated, despite there are only minor structural differences to natural fibers. We assessed the biodegradation of diverse cellulosic materials, including powders, loose fibers, fabrics, and nonwovens, under technical and natural conditions across soil, home compost, freshwater and marine environments. The study combined a total of 122 scenarios across standardized laboratory tests, mesocosm and field experiments, spanning cold-temperate to tropical regions as well as temperatures between 0 and 30 °C.
All cellulosic fibers exhibited inherent biodegradability, with biodegradation half-lives typically ranging from weeks to months. Regenerated cellulose degraded at rates comparable to native cellulose, indicating no scientifically justified distinction in environmental behavior. Biodegradation rates were primarily driven by water availability, temperature and nutrient levels, while oxygen played a minor role. Standardized tests aligned well with field observations, confirming their validity for assessing inherent biodegradability with environmental relevance. However, persistence in real-world scenarios is influenced by product-level modifications such as dyeing and finishing, rather than polymer type. These findings underscore that environmental risk assessments should focus on the final product rather than the base polymer.
Net-benefit fibers
[E5-5 35]
Lenzing offers net-benefit products that deliver environmental and societal advantages and benefits for value chain partners, surpassing many competing alternatives. These products take the entire life cycle into account, encompassing both upstream and downstream value chain processes. In 2025 the net-benefit/speciality fiber share based on fiber revenue amounted to 92.0 percent (2024: 92.6 percent). This percentage is voluntary information.
EU Ecolabel
Moreover, TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers are certified with the widely recognized EU Ecolabel7. This label is awarded to products that meet high environmental standards throughout their entire life cycle. Achieving the EU Ecolabel would not have been possible without Lenzing’s production processes with high recovery rates.
Fibers with climate action
In 2025, TENCEL™ Lyocell, VEOCEL™ Viscose and VEOCEL™ Lyocell are available as products certified by Climate Partner. This certification enables the disclosure of voluntary financial contributions to GHG compensation projects as the last step in a five step protocol: climate action strategy (including carbon footprints), emission reduction targets, implemented reductions, financed climate projects and transparent communication.
Spun-dyed fibers
Fibers with the TENCEL™ Modal with Eco Color technology and TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology directly incorporate pigments during fiber production and thereby help to avoid downstream and energy-intensive conventional dyeing processes. A fabric made from these fibers generates 60 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally dyed fabrics.8
First launched in 2021, TENCEL™ Modal Color has been established as a solution to address demand for spun-dyed fibers among brands and retailers.
For more information on products and technologies, please refer to the Lenzing website.
Durability and repairability
[E5-5 36a, 36b, MDR-M 77a]
Lenzing’s fiber are intermediate products that are integrated into finished products (such as t-shirts and wet wipes). With regard to the durability of materials, it is important to note that durability is not determined solely by the fiber itself but is heavily influenced by the subsequent textile processing steps and, ultimately, by the construction of the final product. Once the fiber is spun, the durability of the final product is determined by several critical factors, such as fabric construction, dyeing processes, surface treatment and finishing. These processes of the downstream value chain vary significantly depending on manufacturer, machine equipment and process parameters and exert a major influence on product properties. For this reason, comparing industry averages for fiber materials does not yield significant insights; instead, optimization of specific products is necessary to improve durability. In addition, a distinction must be drawn between textiles and nonwovens, as sustainability considerations for production processes also differ. Similarly, this applies to repairability.
This statement may be subject to modification if minimum requirements change due to legislative changes.
Recyclable content
[E5-5 36c, MDR-M 77a]
As regenerated cellulose fibers can technically be recycled into new regenerated cellulose fibers, they consist of 100 percent recyclable content. The recyclable content rate in product packaging stands at around 90 percent. This is an estimate for the whole Group based on exact figures from the Lenzing (Austria) site. The underlying assumption is that packaging made from a single component, such as PET-only packaging, is recyclable, while packaging made from two or more constituent materials is non-recyclable. The recyclability rates were calculated by dividing the total weight of recyclable materials incorporated into the product/packaging by the total weight of the product/packaging.
[MDR-M 77b]
Except for the assurance provider of this report, resource inflows and outflows are not subject to external verification. However, the sustainably sourced biological materials are certified.
1License codes: FSC-C041246, PEFC/06-33-92
2Purified/marketed by a partner company
3LENZING™ fibers which are TÜV certified as biodegradable (soil, fresh water & marine) and compostable (home & industrial) include the following products: LENZING™ Viscose Standard textile/nonwovens, LENZING™ Lyocell Standard textile/nonwovens, LENZING™ Modal Standard textile, LENZING™ Lyocell Filament, LENZING™ Lyocell Dry and LENZING™ Nonwoven Technology. An exception in certification exists for the LENZING™ Lyocell Filament fiber, for which the necessary tests to confirm biodegradability within a marine environment have not been conducted.
4S.-J. Royer et al (2023). Not so biodegradable: Polylactic acid and cellulose/plastic blend textiles lack fast biodegradation in marine waters. Plos One, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284681
5Royer, S.-J., Wiggin, K., Kogler, M., Deheyn,f D.D., (2021). Degradation of synthetic and wood-based cellulose fabrics in the marine environment: Comparative assessment of field, aquarium, and bioreactor experiments. Science of The Total Environment, 791, 148060, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148060.
6Christian Lott et al., Hydra Institute, Germany. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.24.696393v1
7The EU Ecolabel is recognized in all member states of the European Union, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. The voluntary label, introduced by an EU regulation (Regulation EEC 880/92) in 1992, has gradually become a reference point for consumers who want to help reduce pollution by purchasing more environmentally-friendly products and services. EU Ecolabel for textile products (license no. AT/016/001)
8Terinte, N., Manda, B.M.K., Taylor, J., Schuster, K.C. and Patel, M. (2014). Environmental assessment of coloured fabrics and opportunities for value creation: spin-dyeing versus conventional dyeing. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 72, pp. 127–138; Textile processing steps being similar for Modal and Viscose, therefore savings are based on calculations of fabric production and dyeing via jet dyeing excl. fiber impact.