Metsä Spring Highlights Kuura’s Lower Carbon Footprint Among Textile Fibres

Backed by a recent third-party assessment, Metsä Spring is promoting the competitiveness of its Kuura textile fibre against viscose, lyocell, and cotton. Made from softwood Kraft pulp instead of dissolving pulp, Kuura has been found to have a significantly lower environmental impact.

A life cycle assessment by Etteplan, reviewed by the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, determined that Kuura’s production process has one of the lowest global warming potentials (GWP) among textile fibres. Emissions are about one-third of viscose, one-quarter of cotton, and over 80% lower than lyocell, primarily due to Kuura’s integration with Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill, which runs on renewable energy.

Markus Nuopponen, R&D Manager at Metsä Spring, stated that while the assessment is based on design data, it validates Kuura’s sustainability potential. CEO Niklas von Weymarn emphasized Kuura’s versatility for woven textiles, apparel and non-woven applications such as mattress covers and table cloths.

Metsä Spring, which invests in innovations that replace fossil-based materials, has partnered with Japan’s Itochu Corporation through Tochu Textile Company for the Kuura project. Kuura has also earned Canopy’s Green Shirt Hot Button ranking for sustainable and traceable raw material sourcing for four consecutive years.