The Life & Times of TENCEL™
If you’ve browsed our selection of sheets and duvet covers, chances are you’ve come across the brand TENCEL™! You may have read that our bedding with TENCEL™ branded fibers is supremely soft, responsibly-made, and excels at moisture control. But if you’ve never encountered this fiber before, you may also be wondering, what is it exactly? And what makes it so special? Read on to find out!
Shop TENCEL™What is TENCEL™?
First thing’s first, TENCEL™ is actually a brand name, not a fabric itself!
It refers to a range of sustainable fibers produced by the Austrian textile company, Lenzing AG. So there’s a big difference between a fabric labelled just “lyocell” or “modal” and a fabric labelled TENCEL™ Lyocell or TENCEL™ Modal. The difference? Quality and sustainability.
To carry the TENCEL™ brand, at least 30% of a fabric’s fibers must be made by Lenzing. As a leader in responsible textiles, Lenzing produces top quality fibers that are sustainable from forest to fabric. Here’s how:
Derived from renewable raw wood material
TENCEL™ fibers are derived from natural raw wood material. TENCEL™ Lyocell is made from eucalyptus and blends of other hardwoods, while TENCEL™ Modal is crafted with beech wood and a mix of other hardwoods. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are derived from certified or controlled wood sources and are certified by the EU Ecolabel* for environmental excellence.
*EU Ecolabel for textile products (license no. AT/016/001)
Made in a Responsible Production Process
TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fiber production processes are continuously refined to maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. Consequently, the carbon emissions and water consumption of TENCEL™ fibers are at least 50% lower compared to generic lyocell and modal fibers, according to Higg MSI.^
Sustainable Production of TENCEL™ Lyocell and TENCEL™ Modal
TENCEL™ Lyocell
TENCEL™ Lyocell is known for its innovative closed loop production process. Wood pulp is transformed into cellulosic fibers, while more than 99.8% of the solvent is recovered and fed back into the loop, resulting in almost-zero wastage.
According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), TENCEL Lyocell has a significantly lower environmental impact than generic lyocell in the categories of abiotic depletion of fossil fuels (up to 39%), global warming (up to 53%), water consumption (up to 69%) and eutrophication (up to 60%).^
TENCEL™ Modal
The TENCEL™ Modal production process is based on a highly resource-efficient technology with high recovery rates of chemicals.
According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), TENCEL™ Modal has a significantly lower environmental impact than generic modal in the categories of abiotic depletion of fossil fuels (up to 68%), global warming (up to 71%), water consumption (up to 68%) and eutrophication (up to 35%).^
