Have you ever worn a eucalyptus tree?

You may have worn eucalyptus since Tencel, the fiber and fabric made out of eucalyptus wood pulp, is rapidly gaining popularity among big name apparel producers like Patagonia and Topshop. Tencel is classified as a man-made cellulose fiber, meaning that the fibers used to make it are extracted from the cellulose-rich core of the eucalyptus tree, and processed by machine to be made into yarns and textiles.

Tencel is recognized as a very sustainable textile solution because of its superior fabric qualities, biodegradability, renewable resource base, and production process that could be entirely closed-loop.

Eucalyptus wood fiber was originally termed lyocell by the company that created the fiber extraction process, but Tencel has become synonymous with lyocell as it is the leading wood pulp textile product. The producer of Tencel fabrics is Austrian-based Lenzing AG, a company dedicated to developing sustainable and environmental solutions for fabric manufacturing. They have found eucalyptus to be a highly renewable resource since it grows at a rate of 6-12 feet per year, reaching nearly 100 feet within a 10-year period. The eucalyptus trees Lenzing uses are grown on plantations certified as sustainably and responsibly managed to ensure this renewability.

After harvest the trees are turned into pulp that is broken down with amine oxide, a non-toxic solvent that heats the wood pulp until all of its cellulose dissolves. Then the cellulose solution is squirted through a spinneret with hundreds of tiny holes to solidify streams of large molecules into fibers that can be spun, simultaneously releasing the amine oxide. Once the fibers have been spun into yarn, they are washed to remove any solvents, dyed and finished, ready to be woven with nearly any type of fabric to produce a range of high quality textiles.

Academic studies have shown that growing wood for fiber products has a much smaller impact than cultivating cotton, and manufacturing Tencel causes hardly any damage to the atmosphere or environment.  Amine oxide is the only chemical used throughout the entire process of fiber extraction and processing, and has been recognized by the Forest Stewardship Council as “a non-toxic solvent.”

Lenzing retrieves the released amine oxide after the spinneret process and concentrates it through distillation so that 99.5% of it can be re-used. All waste is utilized, such as any of the leftover wood, which is used as bio-diesel to power Lenzing’s internal manufacturing process. Even by-products of the manufacturing process are harnessed and utilized, like xylitol found in the wood that the food industry uses as a natural sweetener.

This entire process renders Tencel a very versatile fabric, and one with superior qualities such as good draping, softness, breathability, moisture-wicking and natural wrinkle-resistance. Tencel is even biodegradable, with several experiments proving that the material can completely biodegrade in under six weeks (one study found it to decompose in eight days) in the compost.

Tencel has also received the Biobased Certification by the USDA’s BioPreferred℠ program that aims to reduce reliance on petroleum based consumption, meaning that the fiber is “composed wholly or significantly of biological ingredients—renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials.”

The textile is used for a number of applications such as high fashion, activewear, outerwear, underwear, home textiles and furnishing fabrics. A few months ago, Lenzing released information on innovations in Tencel yarn for denim, which could reduce the amount of cotton used for jeans alongside eliminating the often harmful and water-thirsty processing of cotton-based denim textiles. Kontiki designs bags that incorporate recycled bike tubes and has collaborated with Lenzing by also using their Tencel denim.

Several designers and apparel companies have decided to incorporate Tencel fabric into their garments not only because of its environmental benefits, but mainly because of its amazing qualities as a textile. Patagonia has been at the forefront of utilizing Tencel fabrics, with above pictured Tencel and organic cotton blends becoming a fast favorites. Even mainstream brands like Acne and Free People are adopting the material because of its extreme durability and breathability, while higher end labels like Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, rag & bone and Elie Tahari favor its excellent drape,  softness and applicability for a range of designs from silky dresses to leggings and trousers.

Tencel is not finished or dyed by Lenzing, making the traceability, full impact and knowledge of chemical use in a Tencel garment difficult. However, as the fashion industry begins to understand the long-term sustainability of producing clothes responsibly, we’ll no doubt see the tenacious Tencel staking its claim as a textile of the future.

Also check out:

Fiber Watch: Off Of Wine Bottles & Into Clothing

Fiber Watch: The Bast Is Yet To Come

Fiber Watch: The Sartorial Sting Of Nettles

The post Fiber Watch: Tencel the Tenable appeared first on EcoSalon.

The flu is already spreading like a Malibu wildfire in my Bay Area community with dozens of kids out the first few weeks of school and contaminated parents unable to play nurse.

It’s going to happen, no way of avoiding it all together, but there are some simple steps to build immunity and combat the spreading of germs at home.

Some people opt for the influenza vaccine, which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says protects against the three main flu strains causing the most illness during the season. This year’s vaccine contains three new virus strains: A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.

The government says it is believed the 2009-10 influenza vaccine can protect you from getting sick from these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get a related but different influenza virus strain.

For those choosing not to get the shot, most methods of fighting and containing the enemy involve keeping your hands and surroundings clean and lying low when you know you’re not well and can infect others. The good news for the planet is that none of the hygiene practices require harmful chemicals to kill the enemy.

1. Hand Washing

Discovered only 150 years ago, frequent hand washing is the most effective way to keep germs from making you sick and spreading to your pals. According to Every Day Health, it doesn’t matter what kind of soap is used as long as the water is warm and the soap lathers and spreads over the hands sufficiently to trap the germs. Soap and water works best (meaning you don’t have to use a chemical-doused sanitizer that can actually lead to worse viruses). Here are the steps recommended by the CDC:

– Wet your hands with clean water – warm, if available – and apply soap.
– Lather by rubbing hands together; be sure to cover all surfaces.
– Continue rubbing hands together for 15 to 20 seconds – sing “Happy Birthday” twice in your head.
– Thoroughly rinse hands under running water to ensure removal of residual germs.
– Use paper towels or an air dryer to dry hands and then, if possible, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.

2. Sponge Duty

Sponges used to wash dishes and wipe down counters harbor massive amounts of bacteria, at times even salmonella.  While we are urged to replace them often to keep our kitchens clean, many sponges are made from plastics which means even more petroleum waste in our environment.

According to Living Green, the added environmental danger with many synthetic sponges is that they often contain Triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent banned by Canada in household products this past August. Even though it’s registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being a pesticide, it is frequently used in many antibacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes and cosmetics. The chemical is linked to health problems and harms fragile aquatic ecosystems and waterways.

While replacing sponges regularly is a good hygienic practice, stick to buying ones made from cellulose fiber (cellulose is sourced from plantation forests or recycled). Read the label carefully as some cellulose sponges are impregnated with polyester, a form of plastic. Keep your green cellulose sponge as dry as possible between uses, to avoid bacteria.  Sterilize them by soaking for a few minutes in boiled water, or try a dilute bleach/hydrogen peroxide solution.

The U.S. Dept of Agriculture also recommends killing bacteria and mold by microwaving a damp sponge or dishwashing a sponge with a drying cycle (the method my family uses).

3. Stay Home When you are Sick

Take cover when you are sick (just like covering your cough) by keeping away from other students, workers and friends. State health departments urge employees to stay home when they are infected for good reason. It’s the right thing to do for you and your community. Ask a friend or a loved one to make a nice pot of organic chicken soup, crank up the vitamins and heal thyself. Work can added undue stress that undermines a quick recovery. Work can wait.

4. Resist Sharing Personal Items

You don’t share brushes to avoid lice. And you don’t share eating utensils, drinking glasses, towels or other personal items if you want to avoid flu and colds. While sharing is a good gesture, there is a big exception when it comes to hygiene.

5. Love Yourself More

An excellent reference guide by Our Home Remedies follows the non-nonsense Farmer’s Almanac approach of boosting your immune system with rest, healthy foods like fresh leafy veggies and organic fruit, Vitamin C, garlic and thyme, and beneficial teas. We know when we are not loving ourselves because we don’t sleep and become run down, dehydrated and tend to reach for high sugar foods to revive us, rather than what we really need.

Image: hlkljgk

The post 5 Natural Ways to Fight the Flu appeared first on EcoSalon.