Tencel, also called Lyocell, is an ecological material used to make fabrics and clothing. It is an artificial synthetic fiber created from wood pulp and a non-toxic solvent.
Why Tencel has a very low environmental impact?
What makes Lyocell a very ecological fiber is the fact that it is produced in an almost closed loop. Indeed, to produce Tencel, we recover the cellulose present in trees (often eucalyptus, bamboo or leafy trees), we dissolve this cellulose in a non-toxic solvent which is 99% recoverable, and we obtain our Tencel.
Since the non-toxic solvent is almost entirely recoverable, we can reuse it many, many times. Thus, the only production necessary for the creation of Tencel, is that of trees. However, the trees used to produce Tencel require very little water and have a high yield. For example, eucalyptus, often used to produce wood pulp, needs only the amount of rainwater it receives to grow, without pesticides or intensive irrigation.
There are two ways to recover cellulose from wood:
- The first is to use scrap wood from the furniture industry, the wood of which itself comes from eco-managed forests.
- The second is to extract the cellulose directly from the trees. It is not necessary to cut the trees, one is satisfied to strip them and their leaves. This allows them to regenerate very quickly.
We obtain 10 times more material per hectare of trees grown for Tencel than per hectare of cotton grown!
What are the characteristics of this material?
The fabric created from Tencel , is breathable , resistant and thermoregulating . It is therefore perfectly suited for sportswear . But that's not all ! It is also hypoallergenic and absorbent.
Thanks to all its characteristics, a Lyocell garment will regulate perspiration, keep the body at an ideal temperature and thanks to its absorption, bacteria do not have time to form on the surface of the fabric, which prevents bad odors to appear.
Moreover, with its soft texture, it is often compared to silk and even called “vegetable silk”. This also makes it a particularly tear and pilling resistant fabric.
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