The cellulose-based synthetic fiber viscose is a popular fabric of choice for countless apparel companies, and is often touted as a sustainable material. But this textile, often sourced from wood pulp, has generated more than its fair share of controversy over the years. Some high-profile designers, notably Stella McCartney, have pledged to source material that can only be traced to responsibly managed forests; McCartney herself has striven to raise awareness about the links viscose has to deforestation and pollution.
The cellulose-based synthetic fiber viscose is a popular fabric of choice for countless apparel companies, and is often touted as a sustainable material. But this textile, often sourced from wood pulp, has generated more than its fair share of controversy over the years. Some high-profile designers, notably Stella McCartney, have pledged to source material that can only be traced to responsibly managed forests; McCartney herself has striven to raise awareness about the links viscose has to deforestation and pollution.
On that point, there has been some good news about viscose for the apparel industry’s global supply chain. The NGO Canopy, which partnered with Rainforest Alliance on textile raw material verification, announced last week the completion of an audit for Birla Cellulose, a worldwide supplier of viscose. The results showed that the supplier’s raw material was verified to be at low risk of containing fibers traced to old-growth or endangered forests, In addition, the audit found Birla’s viscose to have no evidence of links to what the industry often describes as “conflict sources,” as in factories where forced labor or other human rights violations have occurred. When added to an Austrian manufacturer’s viscose supply, one estimate suggests that about 25 percent of the world’s supply of this fabric is now verified as being sustainably sourced.
A recent report, however, suggests that more work needs to be done on the global viscose supply chain, especially when considering that it has been attributed to the pollution of communities across the globe.
Read more at Triple Pundit
Image: Wastewater effluent discharged near a viscose factory in China. (Credit: ChangingMarkets.org)
