For full transparency, lyocell is the technical name for our fabric, and because trees don't grow in the ground as a fiber like cotton, the US government classifies lyocell as a "man-made" material. There's been some back and forth with the FTC about this (they say that it has to literally grow in the ground as a fiber to be labeled "natural"), but we just remind ourselves that all words are made up and not to get too upset about labeling it as man-made.
Lyocell is a new "third generation" of cellulosic rayon, with viscose as the first and modal as the second. (Those are more well-known cellulosic fabrics, so if you know them, we're similar but with a much more sustainable production process.)
In short, our sheets are made out of wood, which is turned into a pulp via a closed-loop lyocell process before that pulp is turned into yarn (pictured below). The best part about our Lyocell is that nearly 100% of the solvents from each batch are reused in the next, so there's almost zero waste.
The major sustainability improvement from earlier generations of rayon, like bamboo viscose, is that viscose notoriously has a tremendous amount of toxic runoff and fumes, which can be harmful to waterways, workers, and surrounding communities. In fact, "Very, very little bamboo clothing would qualify as sustainable or organic clothes."
Additionally, our lyocell sheets are made in coordination with Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), which helps to improve our manufacturing partner's already leading sustainability standards.
