Carbon footprint of viscose (rayon)
Our calculator counts 5.30 kg CO₂e for every kilogram of viscose (rayon) in a product made in India. Below is where that figure comes from, how sure we are of it, and what it adds up to in finished products: 1,177 products in our catalogue, from 77 brands, contain viscose (rayon).
Where the figure comes from
The factor is Viscose staple fibre, for Asia (Asian avg) / Austria (low). Source: Shen, L. & Patel, M.K. (2010). Life Cycle Assessment of man-made cellulose fibres. Lenzinger Berichte 88: 1-59 (full study underlying Shen, Worrell & Patel 2010, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 55:260-274), data year 2008.
Status: Contested. Published, but sources disagree or the scope is non-standard; includes every screening proxy. Sensitivity analysis is mandatory.
An emission factor is the greenhouse gas emitted per unit of something, here per kilogram of material up to the point it is ready to be made into a product. Read emission factors explained, or see every factor and source in our methodology.
From material to product
A kilogram of viscose (rayon) is only the start. Making it into yarn, fabric, a sheet or a part, dyeing or finishing it, making the product, and packing and moving it all add emissions. So does the use and disposal of the product, for a whole-life figure.
That is why products with the same material can have quite different footprints: the weight, the factory's energy and the processes matter as much as the material itself.
Products made only of viscose (rayon)
Median whole-life footprint per item of catalogue products whose only listed material is viscose (rayon), by kind of product. Compare within a row, not across rows: different products do different jobs.
| Kind of product | Median, kg CO₂e per item | Products |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt | 5.01 | 137 |
| Socks | 1.60 | 111 |
| Dress | 10.6 | 53 |
| Set / jumpsuit | 15.0 | 43 |
| Underwear | 2.65 | 42 |
| Shirt | 7.66 | 34 |
Screening estimates from product listings with the ISO 14067 method and cited emission factors, not measurements of a particular factory.
Use your own data
If your mill or supplier can give you a footprint for the viscose (rayon) you buy, use it: it describes your material rather than a typical one, and raises your primary data share. Then footprint your product with your own data, or start from a product link.
Questions
What is the carbon footprint of viscose (rayon) per kg?
Our calculator uses 5.30 kg CO₂e per kg of viscose (rayon) for products made in India, taken from Shen, L. & Patel, M.K. (2010). Life Cycle Assessment of man-made cellulose fibres. Lenzinger Berichte 88: 1-59 (full study underlying Shen, Worrell & Patel 2010, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 55:260-274) (data year 2008). Other studies give other values, because farming or production methods, energy and system boundaries differ.
Does the material's footprint equal the product's footprint?
No. The material is one part. Spinning, weaving or forming, dyeing, making the product, packaging, transport, use and disposal are added on top, and offcuts mean more material is bought than ends up in the product.
What is the footprint of a product made only of viscose (rayon)?
In our catalogue, the median t-shirt made only of viscose (rayon) comes to 5.01 kg CO₂e per item over its whole life, across 137 products. These are screening estimates from product listings.
How reliable is this emission factor?
Its status in our library is “Contested”: Published, but sources disagree or the scope is non-standard; includes every screening proxy. Sensitivity analysis is mandatory. A supplier's own data for the material, such as a mill's footprint, replaces it when available.