What is Tencel® (lyocell)?

What is Tencel?

Tencel, also called Lyocell, is an eco-friendly material made from wood pulp and a non-toxic solvent. Tencel is highly valued in textiles because it is a breathable, durable fabric, very similar to silk. It is sometimes called vegetable silk.

Tencel in a few figures

• Tencel is a 100% cellulosic man-made eco-friendly fibre (created from wood pulp)
• Tencel needs very little water during its manufacture, unlike the intensive irrigation cotton needs to grow (5000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton, less than 1000 litres for Tencel)
• Tencel produces 10 times more material than cotton per hectare farmed
• The non-toxic solvent used to turn Tencel fibre into fabric is 99.7% recovered

Lyocell (Tencel), an eco-friendly fibre created from eucalyptus, bamboo or hardwood pulp

How is Tencel made?

It all starts with trees: eucalyptus, hardwoods or bamboo... Cellulose (a sugar naturally present in wood) is extracted and dissolved in a non-toxic solvent.

This solvent is non-toxic and is 99.77% recovered. Lyocell therefore has a low environmental impact, as it is produced in a near-closed-loop process where materials are constantly recycled, purified and reused.

Generally, the wood pulp used to produce Lyocell comes from trees planted specifically for it. The pine, eucalyptus and bamboo forests are certified sustainable and have a low environmental impact. The trees used have a low water consumption: eucalyptus, for example, needs only rainwater to grow, with no pesticides or intensive irrigation like cotton.

This man-made eco-friendly fibre is a substitute for viscose in the textile industry, as it is kinder to the environment.

How to care for a Tencel garment?

Tencel clothes are fairly easy to care for, just follow a few simple rules:

• Store it in a cool, airy place
• Wash it at a low temperature (30°)
• Tencel rarely needs ironing. If needed, iron it inside out on low heat.

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The history of Lyocell: from its creation in the 80s to its launch on the market in the 90s and today

Lyocell is gradually replacing viscose, a more polluting man-made chemical material. Lyocell has biodegradable fibres made from 100% cellulose in an environmentally friendly way.

The first company to market this alternative product was the American company American Enka in the 1970s.

Today, the Austrian company Lenzing leads the production of Lyocell fibres, renamed Tencel. Lenzing is the main supplier of the brands using Lyocell fibre today. The wood used to produce Lyocell comes from forestry operations mostly located in South Africa.

Which brands to turn to for Tencel clothes?

Many eco-friendly fashion brands use Tencel in their clothes: you'll find Tencel ethical shirts for men from the brand Knowledge Cotton Apparel. You'll also find dresses and eco-friendly t-shirts for women made from this material at Armedangels and Jan'n June. Tencel clothes can be found throughout our whole collection of eco-friendly clothes, carefully selected according to a demanding charter.