TENCEL™ - Is it too good to be true?

TENCEL™ - Is it too good to be true?

 With an increased demand for the fashion industry to adopt environmentally friendly practices and reduce its carbon footprint, it is not surprising that TENCEL™ fabric is gaining popularity among sustainable designers.

What is TENCEL™?

 

TENCEL™ fabric is an extremely eco-friendly Lyocell produced by Lenzing™ Fibers, headquartered in Austria. Compared to cotton, in particular, TENCEL™ fabric has a significantly smaller environmental impact, requiring 10 to 20 times less water and no pesticides whatsoever. 

 

What makes TENCEL™ so sustainable?
 
A concern might be the fact that eucalyptus trees had to be cut down in order to make it. Lenzing™ does not harvest the trees from forests, but instead sustainably farms and grows the eucalyptus trees themselves. For every tree cut down, more trees are planted to replace it. This takes the burden off of forests entirely.
 
These forests have the FSC quality mark and are located in South Africa where soil quality is low. Agriculture is not an option for that soil, but eucalyptus trees thrive there. 
Tencel's production process is a closed loop. More than 99% of the water and solvents used in the process are collected and reused to ensure a minimal ecological footprint. The bleaching of the fibers is completely chlorine-free. And because it's patented, is always organic.
 What starts as pulp, ends up as a smooth fiber that falls smoothly and feels very soft to the touch.

What are the benefits?

It's obvious: TENCEL™ scores high on sustainability. But that is not it, because Tencel has a couple more nice features:

  • Moisture Absorbent: This fiber has natural breathability and 50% greater moisture absorption than cotton and is a sweat-wicking material. This could make it an ideal fabric for someone living in rainy climates or for people with skin sensitivities to humidity that might be irritated by damp clothing. And you guessed it, it is perfect for cloth diapers.
  • Anti-bacterial: Due to its moisture management, TENCEL™ is also anti-bacterial so no bad odors (Fun fact: bacterial growth is 2000 times faster with synthetic substances!)
  • Great for Sensitive Skin: Tencel’s smooth fiber surface feels  incredibly soft and supple against the skin and its incredible wicking abilities keep the skin dry, making TENCEL™ hypoallergenic, a great fabric for sensitive skin. Fibers with poor water absorption capacity result in textiles that cling to the skin when they are wet. Wet skin is much more sensitive to irritation than dry skin. 

Both cotton and wool have rather good water absorbency, however, they have a rather rough fiber surface. TENCEL™ combines good water absorbency with a smooth fiber surface which makes it a fiber that is very gentle on the skin.

In a panel that conducted a blind comparison, TENCEL™ was rated as softer than any other cotton or cotton-blended sheets.

Disadvantages :

  • It is more expensive than most eco-fabric alternatives.

TENCEL™ is one of the most sustainable fibers because it's harvested from certified wood sources and is fully compostable and biodegradable. It has even earned BioPreferred designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is only granted to products made from renewable resources. Also, TENCEL™ carries the European Ecolabel and was even awarded the European Environment Prize.

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