Many Names Of Rayon: Soy, Bamboo, Viscose, Modal, Tencel

Rayon first came on the fashion scene in the early 1900s. Rayon is a semi-synthetic material made from plant materials that are synthesized with a chemical-intensive process to convert plant pulp to silky fibers. Rayon was first made from cellulose from cotton and trees. More recently, bamboo and soy are used as the feedstock for rayon production.

Labeling

Rayon made from cellulose or cotton pulp is often labeled “Rayon” “Modal” or “Tencel TM.” However, rayon made from bamboo or soy is often labeled with the feedstock material “Bamboo” or “Soy.” This labeling is somewhat ambiguous. Although the feedstock is natural, the various processes for creating the soft, silky fibers are industrial and chemical-intensive. Soy fabrics and any soft, draping bamboo fabrics are rayons. Bamboo with a texture similar to linen is far less processed.

Sustainability

Rayon is made from plants, which are a renewable resource. The more sustainable forestry, cultivation and harvesting practices that are employed in the production of the feedstock plant material, the “greener” the end product.

- Trees and cotton can be cultivated with conventional or sustainable and organic methods.

- Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant so the cultivation cycle of harvesting and replanting is quick. This plant thrives without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides herbicides.

- Soy cultivation has low impact on the soil and plants are grown without pesticides. Soy yarn is made from the material left behind after soybean oil pressing and tofu production so production of fibers turns trash into treasure.

- Some rayon production, such as Tencel, employs closed-loop systems that reclaim and reuse chemical and wastewater components of the manufacturing process.

You get to decide what "green" means to you. The sustainability and impact puzzle is complex. When choosing natural fabrics for their eco-friendly properties, you can consider the source of the material: whether the material is made from natural materials or man-made chemicals. Or you can consider all or part of the life-cycle: cultivation and harvest of the raw material, fiber processing and dying, energy used for manufacture and transportation to market, cleaning and care for the garments and use-life and final disposition of the material.

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Thank you Kiana McFarland for your help with the research for this post.

The Scoop on Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo fabrics were developed at the beginning of this century and are new to the fashion scene. Here's a snapshot of it's properties, care and green (and not so green) aspects.

Properties: Bamboo fabric is soft, strong and lightweight. It feels beautiful on your skin and has natural anti-static properties. It has excellent moisture management properties, so clothing made from bamboo absorbs perspiration and dries quickly. Bamboo fabric contains a natural antibacterial agent, so it resists odors, mold and mildew.

Applications: Bamboo fabric works well for intimate garments that need to breath. It is ideal for work-out wear, underwear, socks, t-shirts, pajamas, bath robes, towels and bed linens.

Disadvantages: Bamboo shrinks during the first washing and has a tendency to pill.

Care: Wash in the delicate cycle or by hand in cold water and line dry. Skip the dryer, dryer sheets and fabric softeners to reduce pilling. Use a sweater shaver to remove pills from areas prone to abrasion.

How It’s Made: Natural bamboo yarn is similar to linen in appearance and feel. It is made from the fine, fibrous material inside the bamboo stalk. The woody outer stalk is crushed and the interior fibers are separated using natural enzymes. The fibers are washed, fluffed and spun into yarn.

Bamboo viscose (also called bamboo rayon) is luxuriously soft and drapes gently. It is made by turning the raw bamboo material into pulp. The pulp is treated with a chemical-intensive process and formed into threads that are spun into yarn.

Sustainability: The bamboo plant is a renewable material and grows without chemical pesticides or herbicides. It is the world’s fastest growing plant with a quick cultivation cycle. Natural bamboo fabrics are biodegradable and recyclable.

Note, bamboo viscose fabric is not the same as natural bamboo fabric. Bamboo viscose is made from the same raw material; however, chemical-intensive processing methods are used to make the fabric. Both types of bamboo products can be labeled "bamboo." If you want to know which type of bamboo was used to make a garment, check the feel of the fabric (bamboo viscose is soft and drapy while natural bamboo is similar to linen).

The sustainability and impact puzzle is complex. When choosing natural fabrics for their eco-friendly properties, you can consider the source of the material: whether the material is made from natural materials or man-made chemicals. Or you can consider all or part of the life-cycle: cultivation and harvest of the raw material, fiber processing and dying, energy used for manufacture and transportation to market, cleaning and care for the garments and use-life and final disposition of the material.

You get to decide what "green" means to you. Choose the fabrics you love and the green elements that resonate with you.

Thank you Kiana McFarland for your help with the research for this post.