Chances are, at least one item in your athleisure drawer is made from viscose.
What is viscose?
How viscose is made.
To make viscose, wood pulp is broken down and reformed through a series of physical and chemical reactions.
From there, cellulose is extracted and turned into a solid fiber that can be spun into yarn.
So, while viscose is made from natural materials, it’s a heavily processed fabric.
Properties of viscose.
The finished material tends to be super soft, breathable, durable, and moisture-wicking.
Viscose also holds color for a long time and is relatively wrinkle-resistant.
The environmental impact of traditional viscose.
This semi-natural fabric comes with a few major environmental concerns.
One of the most ubiquitous, and dangerous, is carbon disulfide.
“There is scientific evidence linking occupational exposure to this chemical to detrimental health impacts fromcoronary heart disease2toleukemia3toParkinson’s4andstroke5.”
Not only does the chemical pose an immediate health threat to workers, but it also pollutes surrounding communities.
That being said, cleaner ways to produce the material already exist.
How can viscose be sustainable?
On the chemical side, Changing Markets is encouraging brands to switch over to closed-loop production practices.
It’s a start, but we clearly still have a long way to go.
“It’s kind of been each brand for yourself, each supplier for yourself…
There’s a lot of room for standardization and certification.”
Viscose by any other name.
“There are so many factors in deciding whether a fiber is responsible,” says Trunk.
She adds that since viscose is a strong material, it can also make for a greatsecondhand buy.
Large companies that have committed to cleaning up their viscose supply chains.
Looking for a brand to buy viscose from?
Viscose, also known as rayon, is a jot down of fabric made from the cellulose of plants.
