In the last decade, lyocell fibers made an introduction into the world of workwear. Especially in the past years we have seen an increase in the use of lyocell fibers due to environmental awareness in the textile industry. In that light, lyocell is a very interesting alternative to cotton. In this blog, we will discuss the advantages of lyocell and make you aware of the possibilities this innovative fiber brings.
COTTON CLOTHING: WHY CHANGE A WINNING TEAM?
Chances are that you wear cotton on a daily basis. It is a commonly used fiber – for example in trousers, T-shirts, and coveralls – which offers good comfort, durability, and moisture management. However, the cotton production process for clothing is responsible for a large percentage of global pesticide use. Just like other industries, parties in the workwear industry work very hard to offer sustainable solutions. Not only in the use of materials, but also in production processes.
If you are curious to find out how you can be more sustainable when it comes to your workwear, one of the things you can do is start looking for alternatives to cotton. Lyocell is one of those cotton alternatives that you might find interesting.
By introducing lyocell, fabric suppliers can now produce fabrics with ‘natural’ fibers with a lower ecological footprint. Lyocell is produced in a closed-loop process that transforms wood pulp into bio-cellulose fibers, where more than 99% of the solvent is recovered and reused. All lyocell fibers are harvested from natural forests and sustainably sourced plantations without the use of chemical pesticides. Combined with lyocell’s optimized water footprint – the water scarcity impact of lyocell fibers is reduced from 994 L/kg cotton fiber to 46L/kg Lyocell fiber – and energy-efficient laundry processes, its ecological footprint is significantly lower.
Besides these favorable characteristics in terms of sustainability, lyocell fibers offer a lot of other advantages which we will highlight below.
THE ADVANTAGES OF LYOCELL FIBRES: COMFORTABLE, DURABLE, AND EXTREME COLOUR RETENTION
Lyocell is already a widely accepted fiber in the consumer market. Leaving out the sustainable aspect of lyocell we have just mentioned, we can summarize the advantages of fiber in protective clothing as follows:
- Good moisture management: lyocell absorbs up to 50% more moisture than cotton. It also has a better evaporation of moisture to the air, resulting in a more dry and comfortable feel.
- Great softness on the skin: cotton fibers have impurities, which can affect the level of comfort. Lyocell fibers have a smoother surface, making it feel more pleasant on skin than cotton.
- High color performance: the fibers have high mechanical properties and excellent color retention capabilities, even after repeated industrial laundering.
- Highly durable: proven and very suitable for industrial laundering.
ARE YOU CURIOUS IF YOU SHOULD CONSIDER LYOCELL FIBRES FOR YOUR WORKWEAR?
As a Health & Safety professional, there are many things that you can do to implement sustainability in your safety culture. One step towards that direction is to inform yourself on the fabrics that are available on the market, and the trends that shape the workwear clothing industry. Please reach out to our product specialists. They’re always happy to help answer any questions you might have.