If sustainable fashion is something that catches your eye, it’s worth thinking about the significance of choosing sustainably produced and sourced materials. Even when a fashion label produces garments in the local area, minimises fabric waste, and ensures fair wages for workers, including sustainable recycled sewing thread like trilobal polyester thread, their selection of fabrics could prevent them from being labelled as genuinely sustainable.
This is the reason why we are discussing sustainable materials today, in order to assist designers and consumers in making better decisions about the fabrics they purchase and to contribute to achieving our Sustainable Development Goals.
We will begin by defining sustainable fabric, then we will explore where to locate sustainable fabric suppliers and how to verify their authenticity. Next, we will talk about the most and least eco-friendly fabrics available.
10 Sustainable And Eco-friendly Fabrics
There are many chemicals that are sustainable and environmentally friendly, but these ten chemicals are most commonly used today. Some you may have heard of, some you haven’t, but hopefully you’ll learn something important.
- Organic Hemp
Hemp is a versatile plant that can be used to make everything from food and building materials to cosmetics and textiles. It is one of the oldest fibres used for clothing, having been used for centuries because of its suitability for all seasons and its ability to soften after washing.
In addition, hemp is a very low maintenance plant. Low water, no pesticides, environmentally friendly. It also returns nutrients to the soil! If hemp is grown without the help of chemicals to speed up the process, it is a permanent chemical.
2. Organic Cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre and one of the most versatile fabrics, but it comes with many problems. Water and chemicals are very strong and can be harmful to the environment.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals, making it more environmentally friendly than conventional cotton. You can check that your yarn is organic by seeing if it is GOTS certified. If you want to be progressive, recycled cotton is more sustainable.
3. Organic Linen
The advantages of organic linen are almost the same as those of hemp – it has been cultivated for centuries, needs minimal upkeep, and decomposes naturally if not treated. Additionally, it is gentle, weightless, sturdy, and inherently repellent to moths.
All sections of the plant are used to make linen fabric, resulting in minimal wastage. Even though the production process involves a significant amount of machinery and results in emissions, the fabric remains one of the most environmentally friendly choices available.
4. Recycled Fabrics
Earlier, we briefly stated that recycled cotton is the best type of cotton, and the same applies to numerous fabrics. The same reasoning applies when promoting the purchase of second-hand clothing – opting for recycled fabrics reduces the consumption of new materials and resources while also combating fabric waste.
Recycled polyester is a sustainable fabric worth considering as regular polyester is typically among the most harmful. Frequently created from plastic bottles, it helps decrease plastic waste in landfills and bypasses the extensive production process of traditional polyester. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that even recycled polyester emits microplastics during washing.
5. Lyocell
Lyocell, a fabric derived from wood pulp, possesses excellent qualities such as high absorbency, antibacterial properties, no odour, and resistance to moisture. Due to its plant-based nature, lyocell is biodegradable, making it an eco-friendly fabric choice. Tencel is the top lyocell brand.
Chemically digesting wood pulp is necessary to produce cellulose fibres, but the water and chemicals used in the process can often be reused. This significantly reduces the quantity of fresh chemicals and water used for production needs.
6. Econyl
Econyl is a type of recycled fabric that is produced from synthetic waste such as industrial plastic and discarded fishing nets from the ocean. Econyl is a type of recycled nylon that closely resembles regular nylon. As a result of recycling, less waste is generated and fewer resources are used in comparison to the production of nylon.
It is important to note that washing Econyl can result in the release of microplastics that may enter the ocean. Consider using a washing bag that stops microplastics from getting out, or simply opt for items like trainers that don’t require frequent washing.
7. Piñatex
Vegan leather has grown in popularity in recent years, but many leather replacements are made of plastic, which is not environmentally friendly. Piñatex, manufactured from pineapple leaf fibre, is a natural food byproduct. This is especially fantastic because pineapple leaves are typically thrown, but now they have a new function.
Ananas Anam began producing Piñatex in 2017, collaborating with farmers in the Philippines. Cultivating pineapples requires significant resources, hence Piñatex should be produced as a food byproduct.
8. Qmonos
Qmonos, a synthetic spider silk created by combining spider DNA and microorganisms, is one of the most intriguing materials we’ll be examining today. Because it is synthetic, no spiders are used in the production process, making the cloth vegan and harmless to all wildlife.
The fibre is five times stronger than steel, making it incredibly durable. Regardless, the cloth is lightweight and flexible. Although Qmonos is a fantastic sustainable fabric choice because it is fully biodegradable, it is worth noting that it is quite expensive and difficult to obtain.
9. Deadstock Fabric
While not technically a fabric itself, many brands who promote sustainability often use deadstock fabric. Deadstock fabric refers to fabric that has not been sold, which could be due to minor damage, over-ordering by the original owners, or being sold as scraps.
Vintage deadstock is considered sustainable as it involves reusing existing fabrics without the need for new harmful manufacturing processes, since they were originally made a long time ago. Nevertheless, deadstock may not always be environmentally friendly. This happens because certain factories intentionally produce an excessive amount of fabric, anticipating that consumers will purchase it when sold at a reduced price.
Furthermore, certain deadstock textiles may not have been used due to numerous defects, leading to the potential purchase of a substandard fabric. Opt for vintage deadstock to ensure you are making a sustainable choice.
10. Bamboo
Numerous upcoming sustainable brands will promote their clothing items as crafted from gentle, eco-friendly bamboo material. The reality is slightly more intricate. Bamboo can be very sustainable if grown properly, but its conversion into fabric is often harmful to the environment.
Frequently, bamboo must undergo a rigorous chemical treatment to produce fabric, resulting in a final product that closely resembles the non-sustainable rayon. Nonetheless, it remains a more eco-friendly choice compared to traditional cotton and polyester, meaning that by conducting some research on the company, you can still opt for a relatively sustainable material.
Some Unsustainable Fabrics To Avoid
Even though numerous sustainable fabrics exist and advancements in fashion technology are expanding our choices, the majority of clothing is still produced using unsustainable materials.
Fast fashion brands are the primary offenders, producing inexpensive clothing from these materials while neglecting fair compensation for workers and safe working conditions. Furthermore, due to their poor quality, these garments frequently end up in landfills or contaminate the environment with microplastics and harmful chemicals.
Below are the fabrics that you should steer clear of – even when purchasing used clothing, it could be beneficial to consider the type of fabric being used.
- Synthetic fabric made from polyester: olyester is simply a term for any material composed of a man-made polymer, implying that it is essentially plastic.
- Synthetic fabric made from petrochemicals: Nylon, which is a smooth thermoplastic material, is commonly produced from fossil fuels and can be melted to create textile fibres.
- Acrylic material: This fabric is produced using plastic threads made from fossil fuels such as petroleum.
- The material cotton: This natural fibre creates issues because of its significant water usage, extensive pesticide application, and pollution from excessive farming.
- Viscose: This fibre is derived from wood pulp and needs toxic chemicals for cellulose conversion, presenting risks when worn.
Conclusion
It is hoped that you have gained valuable knowledge about sustainable materials and are now prepared to make eco-friendly purchasing choices in the world. Whether you’re a designer, a seamstress, or just someone who loves fashion, the fabrics you select can have a significant impact on your sustainability goals.
One of the most important things to remember when purchasing sustainable clothes is to do your homework, therefore we hope that this post not only saves you time but also inspires you to locate some eco-friendly materials and businesses that you enjoy.
