Tencel: the fabric that will change your life
Are you ready to wear an eco-friendly garment that guarantees the highest standard of quality and makes your life easier? Tencel has also arrived in the world of workwear!
What is Tencel and why is it a sustainable fiber?
Tencel is a fabric created to reduce the environmental impact caused by the textile sector, which is enjoying great success in the world of sustainable fashion. Wearing a garment made with this fabric, in fact, means making an ecological choice in order to respect the environment.
The TencelTM trademark is registered by the Austrian company Lenzing AG, a company that has won numerous awards from the European Union for its commitment to eco-sustainable production, and certifies the production of Lyocell and Modal textile fibres. These fabrics are of natural origin and are extracted from Eucalyptus and Beech wood respectively to be processed in a special production process into soft and durable fabrics.
Tencel Lyocell
Right from the cultivation phase we can highlight the precious attention paid to environmental sustainability: the eucalyptus trees from which the Tencel Lyocell fabric is made are in fact grown in Europe exclusively by Forest Stewardship Council certified companies. This certification guarantees the suitability of the chosen land, avoiding the destruction of pre-existing crops and using only necessary portions of land. The eucalyptus tree, moreover, by its nature requires little water and little land, and this allows a minimum use of resources, having a high yield in any case.
During the transformation phase of Tencel Lyocell fibre, a process based on solvent spinning is started. Also in this case sustainability is guaranteed and even rewarded: this process has received the “European Award for the Environment” from the European Union!
The solvent used is of organic origin, is non-toxic (it is even used in some body care products!) and is recovered almost 100% and reused in the production cycle. Moreover, the remaining emissions are very limited compared to the standards for the production of other fabrics and in any case they are degraded in biological purification plants.
Tencel Modal
Tencel Modal is a variety of Rayon fabric, which is however extracted from beech wood, thus having a 100% natural origin. Like Lyocell, beech plantations come from certified Forest Stewardship Council forests, which in this case are located in Austria, and are also sustainable. The particularity of the beech tree is that it propagates on its own without external intervention and does not require either irrigation or planting. Quite a resource saving, don’t you think?
The beech tree can also be used in all its parts. In addition to cellulose for textile fibres, valuable materials such as acetic acid, which is used for food production, sodium sulphate, which is used for glass production, xylose, which is used for the production of sweeteners, are recovered, while the rest is used in the Lenzing company’s energy production facilities.
The Modal manufacturing process is also closed-loop, so resources are reused in the production cycle without producing waste. Lenzing has developed innovative processes that recover up to 95% of the production materials used for fiber extraction, minimizing emissions and recycling resources for future extraction.
Be careful: not all Tencel fabrics are sustainable
For both Tencel Modal and Tencel Lyocell, it is important that you know that you can find these fabrics on the market even without the TencelTM label. In this case there is no guarantee that they are sustainable fabrics and, in the worst case, they can be produced by razing millions of hectares of forests, polluting the environment and causing very serious repercussions for society.
If you want to be sure you are buying an environmentally friendly product, make sure it has the TencelTM label. In fact, in addition to guaranteeing the respect of sustainability at every stage of the production process, it ensures the presence of these certifications:
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
As we have seen before, it guarantees that the product has been made with raw materials from properly managed forests;
OEKOTEX STANDARD 100
An international standard developed to certify that the fabric does not contain harmful substances. If you want to know more about this certification please visit our dedicated page;
ECOLABEL EU
A label that ensures that products have a reduced environmental impact and high standards in terms of quality and performance. Take a look at our website to learn more!
The 6 benefits of Tencel fabric
Still not convinced to try this innovative fiber?
We are sure that as soon as we reveal the advantages of Tencel Lyocell and Modal, you will call us to get your garment right away!
- Absorbs moisture: Tencel absorbs up to 50% more moisture than cotton and is a powerful thermoregulator. These features allow you to have dry skin and enjoy an ideal temperature. In addition, the discomforts related to excessive perspiration will only be a bad memory for you!
- Antibacterial and Hypoallergenic: thanks to its filtering and moisture absorption capacity, the Tencel prevents the formation of bacteria, which arise in humid conditions, and temperate climate. Just think that in other synthetic fibres, the number of bacteria increases up to 2000 times!
- Soft on the skin: for those with particularly sensitive skin, this type of fabric is ideal. It gives a pleasant feeling of softness and comfort, thanks to its smooth and elastic surface.
- Washable at high temperatures and quick to dry: for its antibacterial properties, Tencel does not need to be thoroughly cleaned using high temperatures, it can be washed up to 90° because it is a very resistant fabric. Compared to traditional cotton, moreover, drying is much faster and allows you to save a lot of time!
- Easy to iron: is keeping up with ironing clothes getting harder? The Tencel is the solution for you! This fabric wrinkles less than cotton, so it is easier to iron and very often it is not even necessary. For washing, we recommend using an organic detergent in order to maintain the natural properties of this fibre.
- Resistant: Tencel’s fibres have a high dimensional stability and this allows to avoid the garment deformation and consequently it guarantees the fabric not to spoil over time. Fantastic, isn’t it?
Our Tencel garments
After trying this type of fabric on our skin, we fell in love with it! We think that Tencel represents a quality leap never seen before in the world of clothing and for this reason we have created our line of workwear in Tencel, so that even at work you can enjoy all its benefits. Take a look!
