What Is Cupro Fabric & Is It Sustainable?

If you haven’t yet cottoned on to cupro material, don’t worry.

Cupro or cupra fabric is a semi-synthetic fiber made from the cellulose of recycled cotton, though the end result is more akin to silk in texture and drapability. Regardless of how nice it might feel on our skin, as conscious consumers, we want to know about the whole life cycle of a material before we can label it a sustainable fabric.

Let’s explore the (cu)pros and cons and find out if it belongs in your sustainable wardrobe. And if you just want to catch highlights, watch our video below.

Cupro fiber is a regenerated cellulose fabric in the rayon fabric family. While rayon is normally made from wood pulp, cupro is made from cotton waste. Sometimes you’ll see cupro materails referred to as cupro cotton (pointing to its origin) or cupro silk (it feels and acts like silk).

This silkiness means you’ll find it in everything from ethical wedding dresses and the lining of coats to activewear. It’s especially suited to lightweight clothing that’s required to drape nicely. If you think of items that are commonly made from silk (such as blouses), chances are you’ll be able to find a cupro version.

Despite appearing to be the new kid on the block, cupro has been around for a long time. You may even find it on a vintage clothing label. A Swiss scientist first discovered that copper salts and ammonia could produce the fiber in 1857, but it was a French chemist who patented the process in 1890.

The name cupro is short for cuprammonium rayon which refers to the solution of copper and ammonia that’s used for its production. Cupro fabric has multiple monikers, including ‘cupra’ fabric, ‘Bemberg’ (its brand name), and ‘ammonia silk’ (hmm, not very appealing that one).

What Is Cupro Made Of?

We mentioned above that cupro originates from cotton waste, but what does that mean?

Cupro material is made from either recycled cotton clothing or cotton linter, the fluffy fiber around the plant’s seeds. Linter fibers are too small to be spun into conventional cotton, so they’re usually thrown out.

The cellulose of the cotton linter is exposed to a mixture of ammonium and copper. These two elements combine with the cellulose to make a new substance. The mixture is then dropped into caustic soda and extruded through a spinneret in a similar way to viscose.

This means cupro is a semi-synthetic fabric. It’s derived from a natural source (cotton) but the raw material goes through a chemical process that changes the structure of the cellulose. Other semi-synthetic fibers include rayon, modal, and lyocell.

For starters, it’s made from cotton waste which sounds great, right?

Yes and no. Cupro material is indeed a creative way of transforming a by-product of the cotton plant into usable fabric. It’s also biodegradable, a definite plus. However, when we look at the processes involved, things get a little murky and in some cases downright dirty.

As with rayon, the raw material needs to go through a chemically-intensive process to create a fiber that can be woven. The chemicals used to create cupro are copper sulfate, ammonia, and caustic soda, all of which pose hazards during the production process, both to textile workers and to the environment in terms of water pollution.

It’s production was banned in the United States because the cost of cleaning up the wastewater to meet regulatory levels was too high, and cupra fabric is now almost exclusively made in China.

Cupro can be made via a closed-loop process which recycles the chemical solutions several times. This is much more environmentally friendly. However, eventually, the solutions can no longer be reused and need to be disposed of.

Organic Vs Non-Organic Cotton

Conventionally-grown cotton is an ecological nightmare. It’s the most pesticide-intensive crop in the world, using about 4.7% of all global pesticides. The pollution caused by the pesticides affects thousands of cotton farmers and their families each year and damages the surrounding environment.

While it’s a positive that cupro uses a byproduct of cotton, it’s still part of an environmentally damaging industry. Making cupro from organic cotton would be a much more sustainable option.

So, is cupro a good fabric to be adding to our sustainable wardrobes?

The Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres assesses the environmental impact of the most commonly used fibers in the garment industry. It classes rayon as E, alongside nylon, conventional cotton, and viscose. So in other words, it’s not great.

But we don’t necessarily want to rule it out completely. It’s important to do a bit of research before you buy cupro clothing. Check the transparency of supply chains to make sure it’s been produced in ethical and regulated conditions, with closed-loop processes.

The bottom line is that there are more sustainable fabric options out there. If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to silk, consider TENCEL (a Lenzing lyocell product) or more innovative cellulosic fibers being developed from unusual materials, like seaweed fabric.

Is Cupro Fabric Stretchy?

By itself, cupro exhibits a remarkable stretchability that provides comfort and flexibility. But this can vary a lot depending on what other materials it’s mixed with.

It’s stretchiness also means it’s pretty resistant to wrinkles and handles minor creases well, making it a practical option for daily wear and travel.

Is Cupro Breathable?

The jury’s still out on this one. Some claim cupro fabric offers great breathability and temperature regulation, by efficiently absorbing moisture and ensuring the wearer remains comfortable in various climatic conditions. Others are less impressed.

But, it’s a sheer, lightweight fabric commonly used for warm weather clothing, so moderate breathability should be a given.

How To Wash Cupro Fabric?

Cupro is relatively robust, it does resist shrinkage and maintains its integrity over time. However, like natural fabrics and fibres it doesn’t perform as well as purely synthetic fibres under extreme wear or harsh washing conditions.

Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to care for, especialyl compared to the materials it was designed to replace. Whereas silk normally needs to be dry cleaned or at least washed by hand, you’ll find cupro can handle a gentle machine wash with mild detergent and cool water. It’s also good practice to turn the item inside out and place it inside a mesh laundry bag.

Having said that, if in doubt, handwash. You can soak cupro clothing for up to 30 minutes before rinsing under cold running water. Press out the water from the fabric when you’re done instead of wringing it out.

Does Cupro Shrink?

Yes, cupro fabric will shrink if it’s washed in hot water or put in the dryer. Its helps to know how to read clothing labels for washing and drying. To dry, lay the item flat and air dry – don’t use the dryer.

Can You Iron Cupro?

Cupro can be gently ironed on the lowest temperature setting, but be careful. Cupro fabric is highly flammable. It ignites easily at temperatures of 180 degrees. It chars when it burns and leaves a coppery residue.

Steaming cupro is the safest way to remove any wrinkles. Hover your iron over the fabric using the steam setting, or hang your garment in the bathroom while you take a hot shower.

Several sustainable clothing brands have embraced cupro and welcomed it into their (fabric) fold. Here are a few:

• Whimsy + Row haa dresses and blouses made from a blend of cupro and TENCEL, as well as some 100% cupro pants.
• If you want to hit the sack in something silky, Amour Vert has some dreamy-looking pajamas made from 100% cupro. They also offer several styles of blouses and pants in their ‘Cottonseed Cupro’ collection.
• Boosting the sustainability credentials of cupro by using deadstock fabric, Altar has created some breezy and elegant cupro dresses.
• “The Original Ethical Brand Since ’88” UK-based Komodo offers fun and stylish jumpsuits and dresses made of a 60% cupro / 40% Lenzing Viscose blend. You’ll also find cupro lining in some men’s jackets.