Microplastics
Penalty 25/100 - weighted impact 11.3
Modal is recorded as Regenerated Cellulose Fiber and tied to no listed microplastic polymer, which drives the material's microplastics score pressure.
Regenerated Cellulose Fiber
Modal clothing: health and sustainability score
A regenerated cellulose fiber derived from beech trees. It is biodegradable and produced with a more environmentally-friendly process than traditional viscose.
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 Modal. Product-level water, stain, or performance finishes can still change PFAS risk.
Half-life and biodegradability
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Modal has no persistence penalty in MaterialsDB, which generally reflects better biodegradability than petroleum-based synthetics.
Fiber shedding
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Modal has no default microfiber-shedding penalty in MaterialsDB. Garment construction and laundering still matter.
Manufacturing energy
Penalty 50/100 - weighted impact 5
Modal 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
54 visible scored products include Modal.
SoftTerry Light 1/4 Zip Fleece
Brand: tentree
91/100
Women'sSweatshirts
Violeta Jumpsuit
Brand: Villa Melina
88/100
Women'sOne-Pieces
Bestee Crop T-Shirt
Brand: Old Navy
84/100
Women'sShirts
SoftTerry Light Seamed Fleece Sweatshirt
Brand: tentree
82/100
Women'sSweatshirts
Aerial Buckle Wrap
Brand: WILDBIRD
82/100
BabyBabywearing
Men's Cotton Modal Blend Boxer Brief 3-Pack Gift Box
Brand: Bombas
80/100
Men'sUnderwear
Tatlow Fleece
Brand: tentree
80/100
Women'sSweatshirts
SoftTerry Light Twist Fleece Sweatshirt
Brand: tentree
80/100
Women'sSweatshirts
Non-toxic clothing guides where Modal matters
Modal shows up frequently in these categories. Each guide explains which fibers and finishes to look for and to avoid.
Common questions
Does Modal clothing shed microplastics?
Modal has no listed microplastic polymer in MaterialsDB, though garment construction and washing still affect fiber release.
Is Modal biodegradable?
Modal has no half-life penalty in MaterialsDB, which is a better biodegradability signal than petroleum-based synthetics.
How should I check a Modal blend?
Use the Greener Closet material-label checker with the full percentage label, because blends can change the final score even when Modal is only one part of the garment.