When it comes to viscose fiber, where the raw materials come from goes a long way in determining its environmental impact. Polyvinyl Chloride, more commonly known as PVC or just vinyl, has been in widespread usage since the early-mid 20th century. Not only is the production of this textile toxic for the environment, it makes … That’s sort of like putting high fructose corn syrup in a food product and listing it as “corn.” Yes, it was once corn, but it’s since been transformed into a manmade product that has serious negative implications. This post originally appeared on Tortoise and Lady Grey, a fashion and lifestyle blog which aims to promote ethical and sustainable wardrobe choices, and inspire readers to embrace a slow fashion lifestyle.. Polyester is cheap and versatile and for that reason it has become ubiquitous in fashion, but the environmental impacts of polyester are also significant. Far from being an eco-friendly material, wool is a nightmare for the living planet. First, let’s talk about cellulosic fibers. This is the category that holds the majority of the skin-harming culprits. It’s important to think beyond just your own purchasing decisions, to consider how you can help change the system so that sustainability isn’t the elitist choice, but the default. According to the Higg Index, silk has by far the worst impact on the environment of any textile, including polyester, viscose/rayon, and lyocell. As a rule, bamboo or cotton pulp undergoes special processing to obtain the material. It means none of the chemicals leave the factory and if they do, the discharge needs to be 100% save for the environment. But the production itself is only one piece of the puzzle. Rayon is made from plants, but it’s not eco-friendly because of its toxic production and the deforestation associated with it. In addition to health and safety, a truly environmentally-friendly viscose is produced without worker exploitation. However, old growth forest is often cleared and/or subsistence farmers are displaced to make way for pulpwood plantations. If a brand wants to get an environmentally benign fabric, viscose can be produced with the Lyocell process. This sustainable fabric is made out of recycled wood pulp which is then treated with chemicals with minimal waste… And as long as the producers follow the rules you get a 100% biodegradable item. (Rayon has been washed multiple times and is safe by the time it reaches consumers.). The great thing is that manufacturing preserves the cellulose molecular structure. You’ll easily find it in all sorts of fashion. Viscose is the same thing as rayon. Modal uses a closed-loop system. If you have a choice between the manmade cellulosic fibers rayon, viscose, lyocell, modal, or Tencel, buy Tencel. And while this material is natural, the process of making it into fibers involves a lot of toxic chemicals, therefore it is in its own subcategory of being a semi-synthetic fibre. I will also refer to the practices of one company – Lenzing AG of Germany – an innovative leader in fiber development and environmental protection. It’s biodegradable, too! Our grandparents were clothed in natural materials such as wool, linen and cotton and in fact, by the end of World World II, the latter accounted for over 80% of fibre consumed.With chemical advances in the Synthetic Fabrics. They adopted the goals of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 and passed the country's first CO2 tax in 2006. Don’t forget, natural cotton may have a much bigger physical footprint than viscose. Wikimedia. In this guide, we look at whether Viscose is eco friendly or sustainable for use in products like clothing, fabric and textiles. Elisa Allen | 12th March 2019. What about the toxicity of rayon production? Rayon (viscose) This is another artificial fibre, made from wood pulp, which on the face of it seems more sustainable. (Lenzing is rather vague on this point, though apparently Lenzing as a whole has the Pan-European Forest Certification.) Polyvinyl chloride – PVC – is the most toxic plastic for our health and it’s not so good for the environment either. -Watching sheep graze in lush meadows is a lovely way to pass a sunny afternoon. Viscose is cheap to produce and is a versatile fabric used for clothing items such as blouses, dresses, … Viscose may appear to be a novel material but it’s one of the first man-made fabrics and it has been produced since 1905. It is a type of rayon since it usually comes from agricultural products and wood. Polyester fabric hasn’t been around forever. 70 million trees from Indonesia, Canada, and Brazil, The way it’s made (often with toxic chemicals), and…. Due to this, viscose fabric can mimic the texture and softness of natural materials such as cotton, silk, linen, or even wool. There’s no way to know as a consumer where your modal clothing is coming from – Asia or North America. It has become more and more popular – the global output of viscose rayon is projected to reach $16 billion per year by 2021. In Indonesia, endangered animals and native people are being forced off the land, so that the local pulp mills can be steadily supplied with trees. The work environment needs to be friendly to those who are part of the production. More than 70 million trees from Indonesia, Canada, and Brazil are logged every year and turned into cellulosic fabric. What is cellulose? That is why these fibers are often marketed as eco-friendly. There are different grades and types of viscose as per its functional properties. It’s biodegradable, too! Therefore, it may be considered less environment-friendly. But rayon (also known as viscose – they are the same thing and are used interchangeably) is not a natural fiber. Because it readily absorbs water and body oils, this could be a problem and lead to discoloring and marking, making it dirtier and weaker. If you’ve decided to swear off polyester because it’s a petroleum product, you might be pleased to know that you can buy clothing made with rayon viscose, a high-performance fabric that is made of a natural, renewable resource: plants. Aside from Fair-trade, these are the standards/labels to look for. It actually might be worse for the environment. This happens during the xanthate decomposition and the raw material is then purified to get the filament or fabric. Just kidding! Email your favorite brand who uses rayon viscose and ask them what they are doing to phase it out or clean up their supply chain. It’s also why there are no rayon producers in the U.S. It’s (almost always, more on this later) too toxic to comply with the EPA’s standards – workers are at high risk of insanity, nerve damage, heart disease, and stroke. Cellulose is a … Viscose: Pollution Concerns Being the first chemical introduced into the mix, caustic soda can be dangerous for the environment . Modal‘s production isn’t as toxic but can still lead to deforestation. If you’ve decided to swear off polyester because it’s a petroleum product, you might be pleased to know that you can buy clothing made with rayon viscose, a high-performance fabric that is made of a natural, renewable resource: plants. Rainforests are being burned and cleared in Indonesia and elsewhere in order to plant palm oil plantations. Tobias Schultz, director of research and development at SCS, who headed up the certification … They are OEKO-Tex certified and manufactured in accordance with ISO-9000 and ISO-14001.” (These are international safety and environmental standards that I personally trust.) Along with making the air and water toxic for humans, viscose production also encourages rapid deforestation across the planet. This is then pushed through a spinneret, and “spun” into the fibres that can then be made into threads and fabrics. See whether animals are killed, harmed or indirectly impacted. Tencel use isn’t confined to expressly sustainable fashion brands. Modal, that non-toxic viscose/rayon fabric, is made from different types of softwood, which is great if it’s sourced from well-managed European or North American forests. When I visited the Green Eileen pop-up (now Fisher Found) the old viscose shirts and pants that came back in through donations had held up remarkably well, and were easy to upcycle into new garments. That’s according to a recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study completed by SCS Global Services on behalf of Stella McCartney, focusing on the production of viscose fiber. So, these emails make a difference. Lenzing manufactures more cellulosic fiber from trees than any other company in the world and has been producing rayon/viscose, the … If you care enough to purchase Tencel instead of other semi-synthetic fibers, then you should also: © 2020 Ecocult. In addition, there are filters and recycling facilities that purify most of the chemicals. Other manmade fabrics to avoid include modal, tencel, loycell, viscose and most types of bamboo. It’s made of certified sustainably-sourced eucalyptus. Eileen Fisher has reduced its use of rayon and does offer some Tencel products, but still relies on viscose for a lot of its clothing. And that’s inside the factory. ENVIRONMENT. This chemical-heavy, industrial process is why it is considered a semi-synthetic fiber. As you can see, quite a few chemicals are used during the production process. Anyway, the workers who are involved in the process are important as well. They’re both in the conceptual stage, but will be tested over the next year or so. Let’s pass on this one. Viscose comes from trees, but it is not as environmentally as other types of rayon, such as modal, because the production process uses high concentrations of chemicals. And there are two major reasons why: Rayon was invented over 150 years ago, and was widely commercially produced starting in the 1920s. Viscose and rayon fibers are cellulosic fibers made from cellulose often derived from wood pulp. Pinterest. VISCOSE’S IMPACT ON LIFESTYLE: Durability: Versatility: soft and absorbent fabric, feels supple and soft Affordability: Viscose is . It’s a toxic chemical called carbon disulfide." Ninety-six major fashion brands, including Levi’s, H&M, Zara, Eileen Fisher, Stella McCartney, VP Corp (owner of Timberland, North Face, and Wrangler, among many, many others), have promised to clean up their rayon supply chains by the end of 2017, due to the excellent work by CanopyStyle, a subsidiary of the nonprofit Canopy, who turned to cleaning up fashion’s supply chain from deforestation after working on paper sourcing. It is a low-cost fabric that serves as a great alternative for the very-expensive silk and chemically resembles cotton. If a fibre is manufactured, then it is made from cellulose or protein. So, modal production is technically bad for the environment but given that the chemicals are reused instead of being released into the environment, the process is thought of as eco-friendly. In the rug industry, this is presented as Viscose, Bamboo Silk, Banana Silk, Rayon or “Art” Silk. Viscose, touted as a sustainable alternative to cotton or polyester, is often used as a cheaper and more durable alternative to silk, commonly in skirts and dresses. Either way, leave me a quick comment below to let me know. And there are two major reasons why: One fabric that is often marketed as inherently eco-friendly is bamboo, because it grows quickly without use of pesticides or herbicides. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. I’ve heard from someone who was on the social responsibility team at a large fashion company that those emails get forwarded to them, and they use them to present their case for sustainability to the executive team. Afterward, carbon disulphide is introduced into the mix and helps form cellulose xanthate. This is not isolated to the viscose industry and it’s largely based on the use of closed-loop manufacturing. Viscose and Viscose Rayon is *Vegan. viscose), and lyocell. Shop with confidence! Viscose is a fabric made from natural fibers manufactured with renewable resources. There’s also modal, a type of rayon. If you were to inspect the fabric, viscose is produced from purified cellulose. However, like any other fabric, viscose isn’t without its disadvantages. Fiber source: semi-synthetic, viscose is a semi-synthetic material, it is derived from the wood pulp from fast-growing, regenerative trees such as eucalyptus, beech and pine, as well as plants such as bamboo, soy, and sugar cane, cellulose material is dissolved in a chemical solution Biodegradable: yes, viscose is biodegradable and Lenzing Viscose® is biodegradable Just kidding! However, the process used to produce these fabrics is highly toxic and chemically saturated. For bamboo, forests in China are being logged and replaced with bamboo plantations, in order to supply more bamboo for bamboo rayon. It’s true many of these fibers can be considered natural, they are made from wood and grass. The environmental impacts of polyester are significant. Tencel is silky soft and absorbent, and is produced using a different chemical – amine oxide – that is purported to be safer in an entirely closed loop process, so that the chemical isn’t discharged into the water. The FTC has fined Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond, Backcountry, J.C. Penney , Amazon, Macy’s, Kmart, Sears and more for labeling rayon made from bamboo as simply bamboo fabric. Disclaimer: Honest Lifestyle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com at no additional cost to you. Unlike, viscose rayon where chemicals build up with no place to go, the modal system reuses all the chemicals again and again. To explain, the chemicals are captured at the end of the production cycle and then reused for the next batch. Are you going to try to avoid it in the future? For something to be truly bamboo fiber, it has to be mechanically processed and woven, yielding a stiff linen. It’s so unstable that it can even cause an explosion while the item is being made. But I remember one of the designers looking at it ruefully and saying, “We’re trying to figure out an alternative.” At the time, I didn’t fully understand why. All Rights Reserved. See if viscose textiles are good or bad for the environment; is a natural or synthetic/manmade fiber, … The silver lining is that contemporary technologies and production standards allow for better carbon disulfide management. It’s worse than the much-demonized cotton, using more fresh water, causing more water pollution, and emitting more greenhouse gases. There have been environmental concerns associated with viscose, but generally that’s the case with every fabric (both natural and man-made), and today the processes involved with most modern ‘versions’ tend to be considered eco-friendly. Tencel, a trademarked fabric also by Lenzing, is a type of rayon generically called lyocell. It actually might be worse for the environment. Two recipients of H&M’s Changemakers award are trying to turn waste products that have cellulose in them – cow manure and grape leaves – into textiles. As for bamboo rayon, when I asked White Rabbit about their bamboo lingerie, co-founder Mariana Hernandez said, “Our supplier’s manufacturing process is green and without any pollution. Rayon is a fiber that is made from cellulose … To put things in perspective, modal is one of the rayon iterations that received a lot of bad press because manufacturers used unsustainable raw materials. Cotton, flaxseed, and hemp are already a fairly soft, fibrous plants – they have to be minimally ginned and woven before being sewn into garments, and are considered natural fibers. To achieve this, manufacturers adhere to ethical and Fair-trade production standards. This significantly reduces the demand for the chemical and minimizes sulfur emissions. It is superior to synthetic materials because it comes from a natural source. Making Fashion is an Environmental Disaster. That part may be 'green,' but the chemical used to make the viscose isn’t. Instead of carbon disulfide, Lyocell utilizes N-methylmorpholine N-oxide because it helps minimize waste and it’s more gentle onto the environment. "Does that mean viscose isn’t safe to wear? Rayon (Viscose) © pixabay.com, © depositphotos.com. Estimates show that the revenue from viscose production is going to exceed the $15,100 million mark by 2023. But I went through my favorite retail stores and brands to pick out some beautiful and sustainable Tencel pieces. So far, the article has established that viscose can be superior to other man-made made textiles and even some natural fibers. Lenzing bills their trademarked Lenzing Modal as a more eco-friendly and softer version of rayon, because it uses closed-loop processing that doesn’t output toxins into the environment and sources beechwood from nearby the factory. There is hope. Once the solution is obtained, virgin viscose goes into a spinneret and into a sulphuric acid bath to regenerate fine cellulose filaments. There is also some interesting innovation in the works to shift the raw material away from forests altogether. In Indonesia, rayon factory workers have been found washing the chemicals off of rayon textiles right in the river. Bamboo rayon is most commonly made through what is known as the viscose process, which involves dissolving cellulose material (in this case, bamboo) in a chemical solution to produce a pulpy viscous substance. But this doesn’t necessarily make viscose bad for the environment. Residents are passionate about protecting the environment and like to do things their own way. Another important thing is where and how the raw material is obtained. The login page will open in a new tab. The real cost of your clothes: These are the fabrics with the best and worst environmental impact. However, most danger comes from carbon disulfide and it is extremely toxic for people and the environment unless handled properly. VISCOSE/RAYON: Viscose is made from cellulose from wood pulp. Copyright text 2020 by Honest Lifestyle. In China, there’s abundant evidence of rayon production is poisoning workers and the local bodies of water, even turning a lake black. … And it’s worth noting that Fair-trade is one of the most comprehensive certificates that encompasses all production aspects. Photo Credit: REUTERS / Mohamed Azakir. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. And tragically, the typical process for dissolving pulp for rayon wastes about 70% of the tree! There’s a fabric for that. That’s what is happening in Asia, according to a report that came out on Tuesday by the Changing Markets Foundation. First, it’s … Without going into all the technicalities, this chemical may cause a pH effect which can be toxic for underwater organisms such as fish. I’d better go through my wardrobe!" On a side note, cotton production usually requires a lot of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, as well as water. First and foremost, factories need to make sure there’s no way a worker could come in contact with any of the toxic materials. How the plants are sourced (often in a way that destroys old-growth rainforests). Being one of the most popular man-made materials, viscose has been one of the main staples of the fashion industry. This sounds great, but what is viscose? This report, however, is a bit unfair, because these links were established mostly through the brands’ voluntary disclosure of their supply chain. But global NGOs and other countries are pushing hard for higher standards and there are Chinese manufactures that follow suit. VISCOSE’S IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT: Fiber source: manufactured from wood pulp and treated with chemicals Biodegradable: Destruction: Sustainability: Viscose is Being the first chemical introduced into the mix, caustic soda can be dangerous for the environment. Fast-growing eucalyptus tree varieties are native to almost every continent and climate, and require less land and – often on land that couldn’t otherwise be farmed – than the equivalent amount of cotton. Most prominently, it’s used for clothing because it has properties similar to silk and cotton. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. So far, it’s a strategy that has worked. Then there is a waiting period to properly age the pulp and depolymerization occurs during the pulp ripening stage. These aren’t rogue factories. Once you have a factory dumping these chemicals into the waterway, the whole community can be poisoned. (Lyocell is to Tencel as tissue is to Kleenex.) However, there is another problem with modal, lyocell, and rayon that we need to discuss…. If these companies pull through, that will make 80% of all rayon fabrics rainforest-free. August 31, 2020 December 30, 2018 by Better Meets Reality Viscose can be a broadly used term, so, it makes sense that you might be unsure of what viscose is and the impact it has on the environment and on sustainability. The solution is viscose, which means it oozes rather than flows, hence the name of the material. But I’m here to try to clear this up for you. And because of the high concentration of the rayon industry – 75% of it is dominated by 10 companies– you can be almost positive that any conventional brand you can think of sources their rayon from the same dirty factories. This fabric is very bad for the environment and can cause breast cancer in women. To manufacture viscose, factories grind up cellulose and mix it with caustic soda. Neither does eucalyptus require pesticides and herbicides. The following sections aim to provide answers to these questions to help you make a more educated sustainable fashion selection. See lifestyle benefits and risks; whether viscose fabric is good or bad for affordability, durability and versatility. Tencel (a branded type of lyocell) is the type of rayon that is the most eco-friendly. Branding by Idil Berken. While it does come with its own benefits, consumers may be concerned about both its limitations, as well as its impact on the environment. But the truth is that they can be harmful to the environment, eco-systems, and human health. Viscose is a fabric that has gained much popularity as a sustainable fabric made of regenerated cellulose. Without a doubt, laws, standards, and cutting edge technologies help make viscose more environmentally friendly. There is no way to recycle the chemicals that end up in the soil or the plant as it grows in the fields. (A more accurate term would be to call them manmade cellulosic fibers.) "No," I reassure at this point. And now that is also happening because of rayon. Just keep in mind, Tencel has a certain feel and look, and can’t replace all of viscose rayon’s uses. Cellulose xanthate is actually a yellowish crumb that appears on the surface and manufacturers use caustic soda to dissolve it. I just knew that something was up with rayon viscose that made it a poor choice for a brand like Eileen Fisher, which is trying to reduce its negative impact on the environment. Neither do we think of its origin nor its manufacturing and the toxic load on our body and in the environment. They’re part of large rayon brands, and provide fabric directly to Levi’s, ASOS, Zara, United Colors of Benetton, H&M, and Eileen Fisher. Palm oil, if you don’t know, is an extremely destructive food and beauty ingredient. The environmental impact of wool. These rugs are blends of “regenerative cellulose” (wood pulp fibers and cotton by products) and chemicals. This is one of the issues closed-cycle production deals with, at least in developed countries. Please log in again. Cellulosic fiber is an umbrella term for anything made from plants, which includes cotton, linen (flax seed), hemp, rayon (a.k.a. Soft and lightweight, viscose fabric is a fixture of many wardrobes and homes and has been in use since the late 1800s. Is it better for the environment compared to other man-made fabrics? Manufacturing facilities may be required to provide certificates for the raw materials and there are tests that may determine if the woodstock fits the right criteria. The report says many fashion brands refused to disclose their supply chain at all to Changing Markets Foundation. But it has come under fire repeatedly for being misrepresented. The whole concept of rayon viscose seems deliberately designed to confuse consumers so much that we just give up and stop caring. “I have a background in Supply Chain and Quality Compliance so it was important for me to ensure that the supplier we chose abided by international safety standards.” Their supplier uses three to four-year-old bamboo trees from the Yunnan province in China. Cheap polyester is probably the biggest offender when it comes to the high environmental cost of fashion. For the most part, viscose has been immune to this, but it doesn’t mean suppliers should go out and cut forests to make viscose. These tough plant materials are broken down through a chemical and mechanical process involving sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide into a viscous (ah, that’s where that name viscose came from) liquid, that is then spun into threads using sulfuric acid. But according to the nonprofit Canopy, modal has been linked to deforestation, and there are other suppliers of modal besides Lenzing that are pulping rainforests to manufacture it. As this is an ongoing process, viscose and other textile manufacturers may undergo an audit to determine they follow the rules to the T. That said, China has a more than 60% market share in viscose production and the country has been notorious for its contribution to global pollution. Eco-friendly sustainable production is not only about keeping pollutants from water, air, and soil. Rayon is a generic term for fabrics that are made from plants that you could never imagine as soft, silky fabric: bamboo and trees. Is Viscose Material Good Or Bad? "It’s only the workers who make it that suffer, and maybe the surrounding environment." Additionally, Honest Lifestyle participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links at no additional cost to you. Government legislators and NGOs actively pursue the adoption of more stringent regulations for environment-friendly manufacturing. Surprisingly, despite being obtained from a natural source, the fabric of viscose actually contributes to polluting and harming the environment. Eileen Fisher has used it for years. Nine out of the ten top rayon manufactures have made the same pledge to not source material from mills that contribute to deforestation. In India, a plant is dumping into a tributary to the Ganges, poisoning local families, causing the mental faculties of children to degenerate before they reach their teens. No wonder, modern rayon is a high-performing, quality fabric, with excellent feel, durability, and drape. 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