Through the CELLFIL project, the non-profit RTDS Group and 13 other partners are working with Thenzing Group, a leading provider of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, to advance the scaling of lyocell filaments. The project, which is co-funded by the EU with EUR 6.9 million, is to encourage the textile sector to adopt a more sustainable and circular economy.The CELLFIL project was initiated by the forward-thinking Austrian organization RTDS. By concentrating on the sustainable manufacture of lyocell filaments, CELLFIL hopes to transform the textile industry in close collaboration with Lenzing Group, which is in charge of the project’s technical components.
The goal of the project is to replace synthetic fibers in recyclable applications with environmentally friendly lyocell filaments by optimizing the entire fabric production process, including all intermediate phases. The goal of this project is to create alternate sources of raw materials for textiles, which is essential for increasing the production of lyocell filaments and advancing the circular economy.
“The industrial start-up phase for lyocell filaments is currently ongoing. According to Markus Pichler, Head of Lyocell Filament Development at the Lenzing Group, “many factors, including the availability of lyocell filaments in the supply chain and technological adjustments for processing cellulose yarns, need to be addressed to shift the textile industry, which currently favors polyester filaments.”
Stephen Webb, project coordinator and CEO of the RTDS Group, underlines, “We are proud to be working with key industry and academic partners to advance bio-based lyocell filaments and promote a more sustainable and circular textile industry through this innovation project.”
