Tencel what is

The brand says that the fabric is produced from natural, raw wood material which is sustainably sourced from forests. Wood pulp is dissolved in a chemical solvent and the mixture is then pushed through small holes to form fibres. The fibres are then chemically treated, spun into yarn and can be woven into cloth. Throughout the process, the water is recycled and the solvent is reused to form new fibres, in a bid to keep waste to a minimum. Tencel claims that as it uses plant materials, it is biodegradable and also requires less energy and water in its production than cotton.

It feels very finely spun. Fibres all tend to work this way. Tencel is also strong and moisture wicking. The Dutch not-for-profit, Made-By, created an environmental benchmark for fibres. It ranked fibres from Class A, for the most sustainable options, to Class E for the least sustainable. Organic linen was ranked Class A, and standard linen Class C. Tencel lyocell was ranked class B. They have since opened the Chinese and Indonesian factory. Currently, our understanding is that the wood pulp is manufactured into Tencel yarn at the above manufacturers and then sold to third parties to be turned into fabric.

The USDA factsheet on this program states:. The program was created by the Farm Bill legislation , and expanded as part of the Farm Bill. Again, anything made out of cellulose should be biodegradable and compostable. The Rainforest Alliance states that:. Watch out, cotton: Tencel fibers are having a moment. As fiber scientists and product experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab, we often have people ask us about the different types of materials they come across when they shop.

Tencel is a brand name for a set of fibers called lyocell and modal think of it like Band-Aids are to bandages or Kleenex are to tissues. These fibers are known for feeling super soft and are widely used in sustainable fashion. Tencel is somewhat similar to rayon i. Manufacturers take wood pulp, dissolve it in a chemical solvent, then push it through an extruder to form the fibers.

The big difference is rayon requires more energy and chemicals to produce, which is both wasteful and toxic for the workers who make it. It also uses wood from trees in sustainably-harvested forests. Markets other than apparel are noticing Tencel as well. It may have even more lucrative uses in batteries and surgical swabs, according to Bahulkar. While in , the Cotton Board estimated global production of Tencel at just , tons compared to For you.

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