From wood to wipe: this is how our baby wipes are made

Naturally, we have already taken this step with our plastic free wipes. And more brands followed! But still, there is a difference. Most plastic free brands use viscose for their baby wipes, but ours are made from lyocell. We deliberately made this choice (although it is more expensive), because the chemical process during the production of lyocell is less harmful. But now you might wonder: from what, and how are these plastic free wipes made? Say no more.

No plastic but..

WOOD! Yes, you read that right. Our sturdy and soft baby wipes are derived from wood. Lenzing, the producer of the VEOCEL™ branded fibers we use for our wipes, have a strict policy for the wood they use. The raw materials come from responsibly managed forests. 

Now you might wonder, how is it possible that a rough material like wood becomes the soft and caring wipe that you know?

The process: from wood, to pulp, to fibre

First thing first: The wood and wood chips are turned into pulp by dissolving all other components. For this, Lenzing uses a chlorine-free process, which is more environmentally friendly than traditional bleaching methods. More than 99% of the dissolvent and the water that is being used during the pulping process is also re-used again!

Pulping the wood is necessary to extract the cellulose from it. Cellulose forms the principal component of the cell wall of a plant. It is the same component that is being used to make paper or cardboard. VEOCEL™  fibers, the basis of our baby wipes, is what’s left after the wood is turned into pulp and the cellulose is extracted.

But you can’t clean the dirty mess with a dry wipe made out of only VEOCEL™  fibers. That’s why we add extra softening and moisturising ingredients. Our original baby wipes are made with 99% water, but we recently also added lotion wipes to our assortment. These wipes are made with aloe vera and bamboo extract and are therefore even softer for sensitive skin. Here you can read more about the difference between water and lotion wipes.

Used the wipe, and now what?

Cleaned the mess and now you’re done with the wipe? Do not flush them down the toilet, but throw them into the garbage like you are used to! Although they are made out of circular* VEOCEL™ fibers, and therefore biodegradable and compostable under the right circumstances**, they can cause clogging in the toilet.

*Circular means the product is made from naturally derived materials and will become part of nature again after it breaks down.

**Derived from the natural material — wood, VEOCEL™ fibers are biodegradable in soil, freshwater and marine conditions and compostable under industrial and home conditions, and can fully return to nature.

VEOCEL™ is a trademark of Lenzing AG