Viscose, rayon, Tencel and modal are all types of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF), also known as regenerated cellulosic fibres. Because they are mainly made from natural plant materials, mostly wood pulp, we have strengthened our sourcing requirements to protect forests and the environment.
Since 2020, our suppliers only source MMCF from fibre producers with a low risk of using wood from ancient and endangered forests, as indicated by a Green Shirt in the CanopyStyle Hot Buttom Report.
And by the end of 2025, we aim to source all our MMCF from FSC certified forests, or to replace them with next generation fibres made from sources such as agricultural residues and pre- and post- consumer textiles such as Infinna and Circulose.
The Canopystyle Initiative and Forestmapper
In 2014 we began working with Canopy and other fashion brands through the CanopyStyle Initiative, which aims to end the use of ancient and endangered forests in the MMCF industry. The initiative also supports the development of next-generation fibres made from innovative sources such as agricultural residues and recycled textiles. We were also one of the founding members of the CanopyStyle Leaders for Forest Conservation.
In addition, we financially contributed to the development of the ForestMapper, which helps companies identify risks connected to forests and allows them to make more informed purchasing decisions around fibre sourcing and forest products.
Roadmap Towards Responsible Viscose
The objective of the roadmap is to move viscose and modal producers towards a closed-loop manufacturing system. It also sets out general requirements for responsible brands regarding:
- sourcing policies
- supply chain transparency
- assessment of supply chain
- monitoring of production facilities
- grievance and remediation procedures
In line with the roadmap, we have our own MMCF sourcing requirements and work with TextileGenesis to improve traceability. Using block-chain technology, we can trace MMCF from fibre to final product. As part of our sourcing requirements we are committed to disclose all of our MMCF suppliers. Today most of the viscose we use comes from Birla and Lenzing. We also source from Enka and Tangshan Sanyou. You can view the full list of our MMCF suppliers.
Together with the other brands we are gradually working towards the 2025 goal: to only source from producers of viscose and other MMCF fibres found to have good environmental practices, such as closed-loop processing of water and chemicals. All our MMCF producers are required to complete Textile Exanges’s Transparency Questionnaire, which monitors their sustainability performance including how they meet ZDHC Man-made Cellulosic Fibre guidelines.
