What is Bamboo Viscose?

Viscose fabric is made from wood pulp from trees like eucalyptus, bamboo and others. Bamboo viscose really describes how bamboo is processed and turned into a workable fabric. The viscose process involves taking wood, in this case bamboo, and putting it through a series of steps before it’s spun into a fabric. 

First, the bamboo stalks steep in a solution to help break down their structure and make them pliable. The bamboo pulp will be shredded, aged, and ripened before being filtered, washed, and spun. Once it has been spun, the threads can be woven to create a fabric – bamboo viscose.

Viscose vs Rayon

Both viscose and rayon are made from wood cellulose, cellulose being a substance composed of plant cells and vegetable fibers such as cotton, bamboo, etc., so technically, rayon and viscose are the same.

However, there is a slight difference between rayon and viscose. Rayon was originally developed as an alternative to silk and is a manufactured fiber utilizing wood cellulose. Then, it was discovered that bamboo could be an alternative to traditional wood, and viscose was created.

Today, you see the terms “bamboo viscose,” “bamboo rayon,” and “viscose made from bamboo.” While these terms can be used interchangeably, you’ll see Cozy Earth refer to their premium products as viscose made from bamboo.

How is Viscose Made?

The process to create viscose, or rayon, stems from setting up a processing center that can break down trees into a pulp. Many people claim that viscose is not eco-friendly because of the way plants are set up to process trees, which involves chemical run-off and the destruction of the surrounding environment. Since fast fashion processes can use rayon as a primary fabric – they’re often under scrutiny for cutting down forests. This is one reason it’s important to shop responsibly and to choose ethical products.

Does Viscose Make the Cut?

Cozy Earth chose the factories we work with because they care about the environment, take measures to follow regulations, and find innovative ways to recycle water, use less energy, and limit the amount of chemicals used in the viscose processes. We are also unique because we are one of the few companies that have made regular, in-person visits to the farms, fiber factories, viscose factories, yarn makers, and finishing factories to ensure that we are only working with the most responsible and forward-thinking people that share our values and ethics.

The processes used by our factories utilize a "closed-loop" system, which recycles the water and recaptures chemicals associated with processing bamboo stalks. They also regularly test trace amounts of water leaving their facility to detect PH abnormalities that would make it unsafe for the environment.

By pursuing a more responsible approach, we are able to create a long-term manufacturing system that strives to create a clean, premium product while protecting the environment from harmful processes. Learn more about Cozy Earth’s story and how their process leads to a responsible bamboo viscose.