A joint venture between Austrian viscose producer Lenzing and Spanish company Tejidos Royo recently resulted (Aug. 2018) in the production of a new type of fiber suitable for fashion use - Refibra. It's a blend of recycled cotton scraps and wood pulp from FSC Certified sources. Country Road is the first Australian brand to make use of it.

 "As an industry, we need to start rethinking the way we use resources," said Lucy King, acting sustainability manager for the Country Road Group. "Refibra is exciting because it performs beautifully. I think there’s previously been a of bit skepticism that recycled means lower quality, and, in some cases, that’s true, but this is a game-changer."

Reports indicate global garment production doubled from 50 billion to 100 billion units per year between 2010 and 2015. During the same period, viscose production grew by 35%. Lenzing’s fibres are produced in a closed loop system that recycles the solvents used to break down the fibre, which is obtained from FSC-certified sources.