Lenzing Group has collaborated with Belgium-based Utexbel, a vertically integrated leader in protective wear and workwear fabrics, to provide uniforms for the security personnel of the Belgian Federal Public Service for Justice (FPS Justice).

The collaboration will enable Utexbel to provide 80,000 prison officer shirts for FPS Justice security guards using fabric with Tencel-branded lyocell fibres with Refibra technology.

This represents a significant milestone for Lenzing, as it is the first time Tencel Lyocell fibres with Refibra technology has been used to produce garments for the public sector.

While we rely on private sector consumers to adopt a personal sense of responsibility, the authorities can make a strong impact by mandating  sustainability in public tenders

Refibra technology involves upcycling cotton scraps from garment production and combining them with wood pulp to produce new virgin Tencel fibres. The fibres are identifiable in yarns, fabrics and final garments via Lenzing’s fibre identification technology. This enables full traceability and is designed to confirm fibre origin, adding to the supply chain transparency of the final product.

“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Utexbel to bring circularity and traceability to public procurement,” said Alexandra Steger, in charge of Lenzing’s workwear business development. “The EU has been pushing strongly for responsible design and the use of raw materials in textiles, so it is exciting to see that this has reached the public sector. While we rely on private sector consumers to adopt a personal sense of responsibility, the authorities can make a strong impact by mandating  sustainability in public tenders.”

“By utilszing Tencel fibres with Refibra technology, Uxtebel is able to reduce the use of new resources and create workwear products that are more sustainable yet durable and at the same time comfortable.”

“We see sustainability as a key priority and are working on several cooperative projects with our partners in the fields of sustainable development, quality and logistics,” added Henk Vandendriessche, area manager at Utexbel. “Implementing sustainability in public procurement is still at an early stage, but while tenders in the past focused strongly on performance and price, sustainability and traceability are becoming a priority driven by recent European legislation.”

www.lenzing.com

www.utexbel.com