High fashion cleans up its eco act
Global pulp company partners with young designer in denim project
A timber mill in Kwazulu-natal has linked up with a top SA fashion designer in a project that aims to inject R1bn into the economy as well as help rehabilitate denim’s foul reputation for polluting the planet.
Lyocell is a form of rayon made of the cellulose fibres in dissolving pulp that is reconstituted by dry jet-wet spinning. The fully biodegradable and compostable fibre is used to make textiles.
Sappi’s R7.7bn expansion plans for its Saiccor Mill, 50km from Durban, aim to boost the annual production capacity of dissolving pulp by an additional 110,000 tonnes to 890,000 tonnes a year.
CEO Steve Binnie said demand for renewable materials that aren’t fossil-fuel based is on the rise, particularly in the fashion industry. This is driving higher demand for viscose used in clothing and textiles, which is derived from DP.
“This expansion project not only meets customer demand for greater DP production and in particular Lyocell, but also significantly reduces the mill’s environmental footprint and supports Sappi ’ s decarbonisation journey,” he said. “Global demand continues to grow for renewable textiles derived from sustainable wood fibre.”
Sappi already supplies more than 50% of global demand for Lyocell, with almost all of the dissolving pulp produced at the Saiccor mill sold into the viscose staple fibres markets for use in textiles and clothing for leading brands.
The project is the group’s biggest expansion and environmental upgrade in more than 80 years as it seeks to keep up with growing demand for Lyocell and reduce its carbon footprint.
Sappi has also incorporated improved technology at the mill to reduce water consumption, improve effluent quality and reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
The mill, which employs more than 1,200 staff and 700 contractors, is expected to generate an additional R1bn for the Kwazulu-natal economy.
As it expands to keep up with the insatiable demand for sustainable materials, Sappi has collaborated with Johannesburg fashion designer Tshepo Mohlala to produce a trial run of jeans made with Lyocell-incorporated denim fabric.
“There is a global movement of people desperate for sustainable fashion ... we were already playing in that space but wanted to understand Sappi’s role in the global movement,” said Mpho Lethoko Mcnamee, head of Sappi’s corporate affairs in SA.
“So when Tshepo approached us it was a perfect marriage of these two South African companies,” she said.
The alliance arose while he was searching for sustainable fashion inputs to elevate his brand, which was already reusing offcuts to make new denim and water-efficient dyeing techniques.
“Denim is one of the most polluting industries in the world, from how cotton is farmed, to the irrigation and the post-processes,” said Mohlala.
“We wanted to create a pair of jeans that are locally grown and made in SA in the most sustainable way, enabling us to showcase our African pride to the world.”
He said the material for their jeans is grown in the Midlands, noting that “people don’t know that clothes are grown before they are even made”.
Mohlala said incorporating Lyocell into his bespoke jeans resulted in softer, “velvety” denim, with material that is easy to work with and blends in with the heat during the process.
The jeans comprise 41% Lyocell, 40% recycled cotton, 18% organic cotton and elastane.
To date, 50 pairs of Tshepo jeans have been produced in the trial run.
Now that the proof of concept phase has been rolled out, the companies are looking to scale up production, which requires securing a company that can supply the sustainable Lyocell denim fabric.
Bernhard Riegler, vice-president of marketing for Sappi’s dissolving pulp, said the next step was to secure a reliable supply chain, pointing out that SA doesn’t have any facilities that can convert the DP into fibre.
Riegler said producers in Turkey were more likely to be pursued as suppliers, owing to the strength of the Turkish garment-making industry which boasts a budding Lyocell industry.
"Turkey is also a developing nation and there are a lot of sustainability elements they can bring to the table,” he said.
“Our focus now is to take the Verve [Sappi’s dissolving pulp brand] not just to our first line customers who ... turn it into the fibre; it’s to take it through to the retailer level and to start talking to retailers and consumers about it.”
Denim is one of the most polluting industries in the world