Dirty Fashion
The journey to responsible viscose production
Viscose is one of the most commonly used textiles in clothing. In fact, you're probably wearing some right now!
Because it is made from trees & plants (such as bamboo) and can be biodegradable, it has the potential to be a more sustainable option to both cotton and polyester.
Unfortunately, much of the viscose on the market today is produced with a dirty manufacturing process
- using toxic chemicals to transform plant cellulose into viscose fibres.
If not properly managed, these chemicals can pollute the water, air and soil around the factories
- destroying local ecosystems and causing severe health problems.
On-the-ground investigations in Asia have found that viscose manufacturers for global clothing brands are using these dirty methods, harming the health and well-being of local communities.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way. The technology to produce cleaner viscose already exists.
Viscose can be manufactured in a ‘closed-loop system’ where the toxic chemicals are captured and reused instead of being released into the environment.
Our Roadmap towards responsible viscose production embraces this solution and provides a more sustainable way forward.
It outlines key principles and guidelines for cleaning up the manufacturing of viscose, and calls on brands to use their purchasing power to make manufacturers move to closed-loop production by 2023-25.
Several major fashion brands and retailers have already committed to responsible viscose, calling on their suppliers to permanently ditch dirty production methods.
No more excuses: the fashion industry needs to clean up its act.
Let’s call time on Dirty Viscose.
Brands and producers:
Roadmap
Take a look at our roadmap towards responsible viscose for information on how you can move towards a closed loop system, too.
Consumers:
Take Action
Sign our petition or tweet your favourite retailer today to help us spread the word about viscose.
Brand categorisation
See which brands are leading the transition to responsible viscose and which are lagging behind.
Resources
We’ve made it easy for you to brush up on the need for responsible viscose by compiling our latest reports on the issue, here.
What is viscose?
Viscose is an increasingly popular man-made fibre most commonly used in:
Clothing like dresses, suits, shirts, ties and scarves
Household textiles such as bed linen, curtains, towels and blankets, and
Medical and sanitary products such as baby wipes, wet wipes, and napkins
How is viscose produced?
Dirty viscose production can be devastating for people and the environment
Find out more about the Roadmap
Click here to read more
Which brands have committed to responsible viscose manufacturing?
