Poor waste management of viscose factories not only pollutes nearby waters and air but causes widespread illnesses. Viscose is found in a huge variety of clothes and used by almost every major fashion brand today.

Although not inherently unsustainable, it is the production process of viscose that presents a problematic story. Wood pulp is extracted, then turned into viscose staple fiber and filament yarn through a highly chemical process using carbon disulphide. With demand for dissolving pulp projected to increase 122 per cent in the next 40 years, the viscose industry is a growing threat to vulnerable habitats around the world.

With growing use of textile blends among fashion retailers, viscose is now the third most commonly used fiber in the world. As a biodegradable fiber, it has the potential to be a sustainable alternative to oil-derived synthetic fabrics and water-hungry cotton.

Many of the world’s largest viscose manufacturers have not yet adopted responsible production methods and sustainable wood sourcing practices. China accounts for 63 per cent of global viscose production. Several large Chinese viscose producers dump toxic wastewater into waterways and fisheries, or allow it to seep onto nearby agricultural land.