Viscose is most often used to make clothing (especially loungewear and activewear), but you’ll also find it in home goods like sheets and bedding. And as mentioned earlier, chemicals are then used to break down cellulose so it can be spun into viscose—some of which are toxic. One of the most ubiquitous, and dangerous, is carbon disulfide. “[Carbon disulfide] is a powerful solvent that has been historically linked to causing hysteria in factory workers1,” says Urska Trunk, a campaign manager at the Changing Markets Foundation, a European nonprofit that investigates and exposes irresponsible corporate practices. “There is scientific evidence linking occupational exposure to this chemical to detrimental health impacts from coronary heart disease2 to leukemia3 to Parkinson’s4 and stroke5.” Not only does the chemical pose an immediate health threat to workers, but it also pollutes surrounding communities. When Changing Markets investigated some of the largest viscose suppliers in the world (most of which are located in Asia) they found that many of them were dumping untreated carbon disulfide wastewater into local lakes and rivers, threatening the livelihoods of those who lived downstream in the process. That being said, cleaner ways to produce the material already exist. When viscose is made from trees from well-managed farms and treated using a closed-loop chemical process, Trunk says it has the potential to be a sustainable fiber. Canadian nonprofit Canopy, for example, is focused on helping brands ensure their viscose wood pulp hasn’t been sourced from ancient or endangered forests. On the chemical side, Changing Markets is encouraging brands to switch over to closed-loop production practices. These ensure all chemicals used in manufacturing are retrieved and pumped back into the system so they do less harm to factory workers and surrounding communities. As of Changing Markets’ industry report, 14 of the largest 100 fashion companies in the world have signed on to the group’s road map and pledged to move toward more responsible. It’s a start, but we clearly still have a long way to go. Joss Whipple of The Right Project, a sustainable fashion consultancy that specializes in materials and design thinking, notes that the lack of regulation in the viscose industry is impeding progress. “Overall there’s never really been any work done on specific standards and certifications [for viscose] like there have been some for cotton, wool, and other fiber categories,” she tells mbg. “It’s kind of been each brand for yourself, each supplier for yourself… There’s a lot of room for standardization and certification.” Here are a few words you might see on a label that ultimately mean a product is made from some version of viscose: While viscose typically takes less water and pesticides to grow than conventional cotton, it comes with more land use and deforestation concerns. And while it’s not produced from petroleum like polyester, viscose can still contribute to environmental contamination for the reasons we’ve covered. “There are so many factors in deciding whether a fiber is responsible,” says Trunk. “You would have to look at every stage of the supply chain and make sure that not only the environmental concerns are addressed but also workers’ rights, social impact, and so forth.” To make an informed decision, you’ll have to consider what you value in a fabric and weigh the pros and cons of viscose: Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
