Microplastics
Penalty 25/100 - weighted impact 11.3
Lyocell is recorded as Regenerated Cellulose Fiber and tied to no listed microplastic polymer, which drives the material's microplastics score pressure.
Regenerated Cellulose Fiber
Lyocell clothing: health and sustainability score
A regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp. It is biodegradable and produced in a closed-loop process, reducing water usage and chemical waste compared to other synthetics.
Score drivers
Greener Closet scores materials from several penalty inputs. The same material can be reasonable in one product and weak in another, but these are the default drivers behind the base material record.
Low concern
PFAS uncertainty
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
MaterialsDB does not apply a base PFAS penalty to Lyocell. Product-level water, stain, or performance finishes can still change PFAS risk.
Half-life and biodegradability
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Lyocell has no persistence penalty in MaterialsDB, which generally reflects better biodegradability than petroleum-based synthetics.
Fiber shedding
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Lyocell has no default microfiber-shedding penalty in MaterialsDB. Garment construction and laundering still matter.
Manufacturing energy
Penalty 30/100 - weighted impact 3
Lyocell carries a manufacturing-energy penalty, so production impacts remain part of the score even when microplastic risk is low.
Safer alternatives to consider
Best next step
Paste the full fabric label into the homepage checker. A 95% cotton, 5% elastane garment will not score the same as 100% cotton, and the checker handles those percentages.
Use the material-label checkerRelated scored products
25 visible scored products include Lyocell.
Denim Relaxed Flare Jumpsuit in Croswell Wash
Brand: Madewell
90/100
Women'sJumpsuits and Rompers
Ellie High Wide Leg Jean Era Blue
Brand: Outland Denim
89/100
Women'sDenim
The Colette Cropped Wide-Leg Pants
Brand: Maeve
87/100
Women'sPants
The Colette Cropped High-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans
Brand: Maeve
85/100
Women'sPantsDenim
The Drawstring Baggy Jean
Brand: Everlane
82/100
Women'sPantsDenim
Full Coverage Brief in Sage
Brand: Esme
81/100
Women'sUnderwear
501® '90s Lightweight Women's Jeans
Brand: Levi's
79/100
Women'sDenim
Cinch Wide-leg Lightweight Women's Jeans
Brand: Levi's
78/100
Women'sDenim
Common questions
Does Lyocell clothing shed microplastics?
Lyocell has no listed microplastic polymer in MaterialsDB, though garment construction and washing still affect fiber release.
Is Lyocell biodegradable?
Lyocell has no half-life penalty in MaterialsDB, which is a better biodegradability signal than petroleum-based synthetics.
How should I check a Lyocell blend?
Use the Greener Closet material-label checker with the full percentage label, because blends can change the final score even when Lyocell is only one part of the garment.