Tencel: Is This Sustainable Fabric Really the Real Deal?

We’re here to uncover the impact of TENCEL™ on the planet, and compare it to the other eco fabrics on the market. We’ll get to know the unique features that make this fabric one-of-a-kind, and take a venture into what the future could hold for this sustainable fabric.

Growing in popularity as a fabric choice for conscious brands, the fabric shares a lot of similarities to cotton. It’s breathable, light and versatile - perfect for underwear, activewear and t-shirts. If you’ve not heard of it yet, you’ll soon start noticing it cropping up on the sites of your favourite sustainable clothing brands.

What is TENCEL™ Fabric and is it Sustainable? 

So what actually is this fabric, and where does it come from? 

TENCEL™ is a type of lyocell fabric created from wood pulp, usually from fast-growing eucalyptus or beech trees. The fabric was created by Austrian company Lenzing, who coined the name TENCEL™ to differentiate their type of wood-pulp fabric from the rest (yes, there’s more than one fabric made from wood).

The big differentiating factor between Lenzing’s lyocell fabric and the other ones on the market, is that TENCEL™ is created with sustainability at the heart of the process. The trees are sustainably sourced and harvested in a closed loop system, making it a great sustainable choice for brands and designers looking to minimise their impact on the environment.

A common argument about the sustainability of TENCEL™ is that it uses trees to produce (that’s not good, right?) 

Actually, Lenzing relies on FSC-certified plantations for the production of the fabric, which ensures that the plantations are running sustainably. The beech and eucalyptus trees used are very fast growing, and the plantations make sure that there’s always roughly the same amount of trees growing at any time.

TENCEL™ is certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100 too, who mark it as non-toxic, and sourced from sustainably managed forests.

The fabric is also completely biodegradable, with no nasty chemicals or microplastics created in the breakdown process, unlike many other fabrics on the market.

The Main Types of TENCEL™ Fabric

Just like we can get different kinds of cotton or linen, that have different looks, feel and properties, there are a few different types of TENCEL™ to choose from. There is TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ Lyocell filament. Each of the fabrics has different make-up, so can be used for different projects.

TENCEL™ Lyocell  - The fibres are extracted from sustainably grown wood using a unique system to recover and reuse any solvents that are used in production. The system is closed-loop, meaning all the waste is collected and re-used. 

Because of the way it’s created, the environmental impact is lower than most other fabric production. The fabric is very soft and gentle on the skin, and great at absorbing moisture, which means it’s a good choice for sports and activewear.

TENCEL™ Modal - Lyocell’s flexible sister fabric, modal fibres are silky soft. Even after washing tons of times, the soft smoothness of the fabric remains intact (no bobbling over here).  Lenzing did some studies that showed that it’s actually twice as soft as cotton. TENCEL™ bed sheets, anyone?

TENCEL™ Lyocell filament - The new Lyocell creation, an extremely fine filament yarn. Sometimes branded as TENCEL™ Luxe, the fibre produces silky fabrics (dare we say they’re luxurious) that drape and flow like silk.

How Is TENCEL™ Fabric Made?

TENCEL™ is a man-made fabric, similar to modal and viscose. Wood pulp is harvested from the beech or eucalyptus trees, and then dissolved in a solvent. After this, it’s pushed through a spinneret to form fibre strands, using more solvent. 

It’s worth noting that the solvent that’s used in the creation of the fabric is non-toxic, meaning it doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment when it’s disposed of, and doesn’t pass on any chemicals to the fabric either, unlike other processes in the textile creation process.

By this point, the wood pulp has been transformed into fibres, which can later be spun into yarn which is woven or knitted to make the fabric. And voila! TENCEL™is born.

How Does TENCEL™ Fabric Affect the Environment?

In terms of environmental impact, TENCEL™ is pretty good in comparison to most of the regular fabrics we see on the market. However, it’s not the most environmental choice there is. Organic hemp and linen fabrics are generally even lower impact, and recycled fabrics like recycled cotton can have even less impact, as they use no new resources in the production.

When it’s being produced, TENCEL™ doesn’t require as much energy or water to create as conventional cotton. It’s also biodegradable, which means it will break down naturally at the end of its lifecycle.

However, to maximise the properties of the fabric and make it more long-lasting, often the fabric will be blended with other synthetic fibres like nylon. This is not good news environmentally, as it means that the fabric won’t be able to break down naturally, and becomes very tricky to recycle, as the two fibres need to be split apart in order to reuse them.

TENCEL™ is also sometimes coloured by dyes that are chemical based, and the waste-water from this process causes environmental harm too. However, when the fabric is produced it’s actually a bright white colour, so there’s no need to bleach it, like you might have to with other fibres.

All in all, the environmental impact of TENCEL™ is considerably less than other natural fabrics, but like creating anything new from new resources, there will always be some kind of impact on the planet.

TENCEL™ vs. Natural Fabrics - Which is Better?

So how does TENCEL™ compare to other fabrics? Let’s find out.

TENCEL™ VS Other Wood-based Fabrics

TENCEL™, rayon, modal, lyocell and viscose are all fabrics made out of tree pulp. We know, there’s a lot of them, right? Naturally, that means that there are a lot of similarities between the fabrics, but what makes them different?

The main thing that holds TENCEL™ apart from the other wood-pulp fabrics is that the manufacturing and growing process is closed-loop. That means nothing is wasted.

TENCEL™ VS Cotton

Did you know that around 30 million hectares of land is used to grow cotton around the world? The land used is arable, meaning that it could be used instead to create food crops and feed the equivalent of around 24 million people. TENCEL™ actually doesn’t use any arable land at all. Because it’s made from trees, the land that’s used isn’t the right quality for growing food.

In comparison to cotton plants, the trees don’t need much water, so no artificial irrigation is needed. One of the main problems with cotton farming is that it needs a lot of water to grow, so when we buy a t-shirt made from TENCEL™, there has usually been around 10 - 20 times less water used in the production cycle.

Because the amount of cotton required for our worldwide shopping habits is so high, many cotton plants are being genetically modified (around a third). That means lots of nasty pesticides, insecticides and herbicides being used. TENCEL™ never has to do this.

Does Tencel Offer the Comfort of Cotton? 

Absolutely! Tencel shares cotton's breathable and comfortable attributes, ensuring you remain at ease regardless of the environment. Its moisture-wicking nature keeps you cool, making it a versatile choice for any occasion.

What does the future hold for TENCEL™ fabrics?

Lenzing are currently developing a fabric using REFIBRA technology, using a mixture of the wood pulp and recycled cotton scraps. This is a great solution to reduce the fabric’s impact even further.

It’s an exciting fabric, with a circular model that we hope will inspire other manufacturing processes and fabric production in the near future. As people become more mindful of their choices and the environmental impact they have, we imagine that TENCEL™ will become an even bigger part of our wardrobes.

So it’s safe to say that TENCEL™ is not just another sustainability buzzword - it’s a fabric with a mission. It promises a sustainable solution to replace the fabrics that are causing the most environmental damage, and a great soft and wearable option for wardrobes across the globe. As the fashion industry evolves towards a more conscious future, we’re excited to see what else Lenzing has to offer.