This brand started being aware of the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. Implementing industry standard polyester or Rpet thread was not an option as we keep the same problem about the biodegradability of the garment. Organic cotton is still neither an option nor has not enough thickness for outside seams; we hope we can use it in the future. Lyocell is fully biodegradable and provides the strength we need. Our tree fiber is sourced from South African silviculture plantations that minimize fertilizer and rely on rainfall, not irrigation. Anyway, we are aware lyocell is the best option we have found but not a justice led circular design option. The thing with eucalyptus is that local agriculture competes for water with these plantations, and FSC doesn’t restrict pesticides.

”Besides endorsing the destructive conversion of the natural habitat, cultivated fields and livestock pastures, the certification of tree plantations by FSC also legitimises ‘management practices’ that are used to deliberately harm or destroy natural flora and fauna. For example, after trees have been planted, toxic herbicides are used to eradicate biodiversity rich native vegetation that might compete with the plantation trees for water and nutrients. This also exposes the soil to erosion and the loss of biological carbon. Chemical pesticides are also applied to control insects and rodents that might eat the young trees after their natural food has been poisoned. But even worse is the killing of larger mammals such as baboons, which are eradicated by shooting, trapping or setting poisoned baits” [1]

Lyocell TENCEL™ fiber is a man-made cellulosic fiber. It is made by chipping wood and processed into pulp before being processed into fibers. The process developed by Lenzing involves direct dissolution of cellulose pulp in an organic solvent, without any chemical change and recovers more than 99% of the solvent in a closed loop. On the other hand, viscose, rayon and bamboo use toxic solvents called sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide in an open system.

Lenzing tells us that lyocell has the following potential impact savings over conventional cotton [1] but still there is a lack of transparency in FSC certificates. 

• It requires no irrigation, It reduces to 95% blue water footprint compared to cotton(283 l/kg). But compete with other crops. 
• It needs no treatment with pesticides and no fertilizer…but FSC allows the use of them.
• Reducing agricultural inputs CO2 as no pesticide, it is 76% reduced global warming potential…but FSC allows the use of them.
• Reduce impact on wildlife: 77 % percent reduced eutrophication potential but nothing said about the native vegetation eradication. 
• Without fertilizer or irrigation needed our organic cotton uses: 70 % less primary energy…but FSC allows the use of them.

The wood pulp purchased more than half comes from South Africa from FSC plantations (eucalyptus and acacia). South Africa is a water-limited country with an average annual rainfall of 560 mm year.The rest comes from wood (birch,beech,aspen..) grown in FSC semi-natural forests of the USA, PEFC central Europe and Scandinavia. Often we read that the wood pulp purchased by Lenzing raw material comes from Austrian forests but this is not applied by Lyocell fabric. Origin of this wood matters because according to environmental non-profit Canopy 1/3 pulp used in the industry comes from ancient and endangered forests.

Although it is considered as low water consumption fiber, it has other water impacts. South Africa is a water-limited country with an average annual rainfall of 560 mm year. Plantations of exotic species were established in the higher-rainfall > 700mm per year. Annual evapotranspiration rates of indigenous vegetation range from 700 to 900 mm. Evapotranspiration from established forest plantations is commonly in the range of 1100–1200 mm and is limited by rainfall available on the site. Numerous local and international studies have indicated conclusively that forest plantations established in former natural forests, grasslands, or shrubland areas consume more water than the baseline vegetation, reducing water yield (streamflow) as a result.

We would like to change to European grown crop thread but still we have not found any option accessible to us. We could use lyocell in the future if we are aware that it  comes from no pesticide plantations and silviculture plantations it will mean deforestation neither competing for local food plantations.