From renewable wood fibers to organically grown cotton, fashion’s raw materials are getting a serious rethink — and the companies leading the charge just made their case to European policymakers.
Pull the tag on almost anything in your wardrobe and you’ll find a fiber blend that reads more like a chemistry equation than a fashion statement. Polyester, nylon, elastane — most of it derived from fossil fuels. The push to change that is further along than you’d think.
The Lenzing Group — the Austrian producer of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries — hosted a high-level roundtable in Brussels organized in cooperation with Euractiv today. European Commission officials, U.K. government representatives, academics, and industry leaders convened to make the case for cellulosic fibers as a scalable, fossil-free solution in nonwoven applications. “Europe has set ambitious goals for a clean-industry transition. Our roundtable in Brussels showed that bio-based materials are not a future vision – they are a practical, scalable reality today,” Georg Kasperkovitz, member of the Management Board of Lenzing Group, said at the event. “As an integrated cellulosic fiber producer with deep European roots, Lenzing helps strengthen industrial resilience while accelerating the shift away from fossil-based synthetic fibers.”
Why cellulose is fashion’s most talked-about fiber
Lenzing’s specialty fibers are produced from renewable wood and carry a lower greenhouse gas emissions profile compared to conventional synthetic alternatives. The company’s climate targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and align with the 1.5-degree pathway of the Paris Agreement — a level of independent verification that distinguishes it from many of its peers.
Discussion at the Brussels roundtable centered on potential policy updates, including revisions to the Single Use Plastics Directive, which participants identified as essential to provide the investment certainty needed for broader market adoption. “Maintaining and expanding European production capacity is essential for supply-chain resilience and strategic autonomy,” noted Patricia A. Sargeant, Executive Vice President Nonwovens Commercial at Lenzing Group. “Cellulosic fibers play a critical role in single-use products for hygiene applications – underscoring the need to redesign products toward biodegradable material solutions that address SUPD concerns and microplastic pollution.”
Organic cotton gets a major strategy overhaul
Across the channel — and across the supply chain — the Organic Cotton Accelerator announced a new multi-year strategy aimed at dramatically scaling global organic cotton supply before 2030. The nonprofit, which currently works with more than 100,000 farmers across India, Pakistan, and Turkey, is restructuring around three priorities: expanded impact measurement, a simplified Farm Fund, and new global partnerships targeting sourcing regions in Africa and Latin America.
The financial proof of concept is already in place. Between 2021 and 2024, farmers participating in the organization’s Farm Program earned an average 9 percent higher net income per hectare from organic cotton than peers using conventional methods, with nearly €15 million paid out in premiums over that period.
The Farm Fund, currently in its pilot phase, aims to reduce administrative complexity for brands and retailers by providing clear cost visibility and pooling contributions for farmer premiums and technical support — effectively separating these investments from volatile cotton prices so that farmers receive more stable, predictable returns.
The OCA is also expanding its focus beyond farmer income to track soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and water stewardship — areas that matter increasingly to brands navigating stricter due diligence and disclosure requirements. Executive Director Bart Vollaard says the industry is at a turning point. “Sustainability expectations are changing fast, and brands now face rising demands on traceability, climate action and human rights, while managing real sourcing risks. Farmers, meanwhile, face growing climate and market volatility and need stable markets and fairer returns to stay resilient. By scaling proven solutions with our partners, we can deliver meaningful impact for farmers and strengthen the long-term resilience of the global textile sector.”
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