EANS-News: #ItsInOurHands: A new initiative for biodegradable wet wipes

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Company Information

Highlights -

* The #ItsInOurHands initiative, sponsored by VEOCEL(TM), highlights a global
environmental topic of which eight out of ten consumers are generally unaware
of:[1] hidden plastics in products such as beauty, baby or household wipes.
* The eco-initiative #ItsInOurHands paves the way towards a widespread dialogue
about wet wipes, providing information about current issues, presenting
biodegradable solutions and offering tips and information from sustainability
experts.
* By July 2021, the European Union (EU) will have prohibited many single-use
plastic products and will have enforced the labelling of plastic components in
wet wipes. VEOCEL(TM) branded fibers, which are 100% biodegradable, already
offer a sustainable alternative to fossil-based fibers in wet wipes.

Lenzing/Wien - The eco-initiative #ItsInOurHands aims to generate widespread
awareness for the environmentally conscious handling of wet wipes. VEOCEL(TM) -
the brand for fibers in baby, hygiene and household cleaning products from
Lenzing - first introduced the new Environmental Initiative at the end of
October at the Sustainable Retail Summit in Berlin for the first time: "An
increasing number of consumers uses wet wipes every day because they are
practical, hygienic and handy. However, hardly anyone knows that a greater share
of them actually contains plastics and can, if disposed of incorrectly, pollute
the environment. Yet, biodegradable alternatives of cellulose fibers have been
around in the market for some time, however there was not much adoption rate
until now" comments Jürgen Eizinger, Vice President Nonwovens at Lenzing.

Zwtl.: Lack of consumer awareness of plastics in wet wipes

According to a current consumer survey from the highly regarded online-research
institute, Marketagent, only 15,7 percent of consumers are aware that a large
portion of current wet wipes on the market contains plastic. However, amongst
the interviewees who are purchasing wet wipes, more than half said they would
choose a sustainable alternative, provided they knew about the plastics content.
[2]
"We want to provoke a change in the way people think and handle wet wipes. It is
now the time to generate greater awareness, and provide more education for
people about environmental protection, such as the use of fossil raw materials
and offer them a sustainable alternative. Anyone can contribute to this -
producers, retailers, and even the consumers themselves" Eizinger continues.
VEOCELTM is sponsoring a new movement with the #ItsInOurHands initiative to
raise greater awareness and transparency in regards to the materials processed
in wet wipes.

Additionally, the EU passed the "Single-Use Plastics Directive" this year, which
will completely prohibit an entire group of single-use plastic products by 2021.
It will also obligate manufacturers to indicate, on certain products, more
clearly whether the products contain plastic or not and the coinciding
appropriate disposal methods. Not only does this directive affect plastic bags
and straws, but also wet wipes will be targeted as well. One sustainable
alternative to fossil-based synthetic fibers in wet wipes are wood-based
cellulose fibers, which are compostable, completely biodegradable and can
therefore return to nature.

Zwtl.: #ItsInOurHands: awareness for a global problem

The #ItsInOurHands initiative wishes to enlighten consumers about sustainable
materials in wet wipes and encourages them to make their purchasing decisions
with an eco-conscious mentality. As of this upcoming December,
www.itsinourhands.com [http://www.itsinourhands.com/] will present facts and
information about plastic in wet wipes, give subject matter experts a chance to
express their opinions, and invite and connect interested parties to participate
in dialogues. #ItsInOurHands will invite bloggers to share their views with
followers and will further provide informative and exciting contributions on
Facebook and Instagram in order to raise awareness and initiate dialogues
concerning this global issue.

Zwtl.: VEOCEL(TM) as a "Label of Trust"

For all products that use VEOCEL(TM) branded fibers and where the VEOCEL(TM)
logo is visible on the package, it is guaranteed that the products contain only
eco-friendly materials. This year, Lenzing introduced strict certification
criteria for its VEOCEL(TM) brand. "We can offer consumers guidance and security
to purchase sustainable wipes. With the VEOCEL(TM) logo on the packaging, they
can be confident that the wipes were made only of biodegradable cellulose fibers
and do not contain synthetic fibers, "Jürgen Eizinger highlights. VEOCEL(TM)
fibers are produced by the Lenzing group from the renewable raw material wood,
and are sourced from sustainably managed forests. Certified by TUV in regards to
its biodegradability, VEOCEL(TM) fibers can completely break down within a few
weeks whether in a compost environment or in a water environment.

You can download all the pictures for the press release under the following
link.

https://mediadb.lenzing.com/pinaccess/pinaccess.do?pinCode=ZszBmSpZBcQ3

The download for PR purposes is free of charge

[1] Marketagent Study, October 2019 (s.o.).s
[2] Representative Marketagent-Study by order of the ItsInOurHands Initiative
with 1,000 participants, Austria and Germany, October 2019.

Further inquiry note:
Melanie Sumereder
Sustainability Relations Manager
Telefon: +43 7672 701 3290
Mobil: +43 664 6112546
E-Mail: m.sumereder@lenzing.com
Web: www.lenzing.com - www.veocel.com

end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: Lenzing AG

A-4860 Lenzing
phone: +43 7672-701-0
FAX: +43 7672-96301
mail: office@lenzing.com
WWW: http://www.lenzing.com
ISIN: AT0000644505
indexes: WBI, ATX
stockmarkets: Wien
language: English

Original-Content von: Lenzing AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell