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🌿We’ve got a big batch of deadstock coming to the store tomorrow, and I just wanted to share a bit about viscose/rayon/bamboo and why we choose not to source it new from the mill. ⁣ ⁣ 🌿Similarly to traditional cotton, viscose benefits from a bit of an artificial green glow. And I get it! The viscose fibres themselves are made from regenerated cellulose fibre, which is harvested from wood pulp. So, technically a natural fibre. What’s wrong with that? Where lyocell (a sustainable ‘rayon’ substrate) and viscose branch differ primarily is in the processing. ⁣ ⁣ 🚫And this is where it gets nasty. The wood pulp is dipped in HIGHLY toxic carbon disulfide to make rayon, and then those solvents are (often) released into surrounding waterways and ecosystems. And this isn’t a new problem. In 1974, a study was done on 118 viscose workers over 15 years. 48% of them displayed degenerative nerve disorders. America was known for their rayon processing plants, until rampant health concerns caused the move of plants to – you guessed it – developing nations. ⁣ ⁣ 🚫And the effect on these nations is staggering. Those living near viscose factories across Asia have reported lasting damage to fish and crops. Test results from outside the ABG factory, India’s largest viscose manufacturer, showed air quality levels of carbon disulfide at 125 x the WHO’s guideline values. (Con’t in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️)

A post shared by Matchpoint Fabric (@matchpointfabric) on Jun 28, 2019 at 8:14am PDT

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