“…In general, the term rayon refers to a wide range of human-made cellulose fibers from different processes . Among those, the viscose process is nowadays the most important process to manufacture human-made wood-based fibers, with production volumes of several million tons per year. , Although the basic principle is still the same as it was at the end of the 19th century, much progress has been made in the preparation of the alkali cellulose, the removal of undesired impurities, and the procedures to obtain spinning dopes suitable for the production of high-quality fibers. − Besides progress in fiber/film manufacturing, also the processes to recycle the used chemicals and remove them from the air have been improved significantly. , For instance, emissions by the largest viscose manufacturer in Europe, Lenzing AG, is at an extremely low level, which is a prerequisite considering that the plant site is located close to residential areas . Since the demand for fibers is steadily growing and cotton plantations are more or less at the limit of potential land use, the only way to close the gap is to focus on wood-based fibers .…”