6 Best Eco Friendly Fabrics

 

We are living in an age where sustainable clothing is getting more sophisticated every year.  There are very creative designers that are using products such as Organic cotton to make clothes.  Great ideas are flowing through beautiful minds that come up with novel ways to make garments that are reducing waste and serving a dual purpose.  Gone will be the days when clothes go to landfills. We are working towards a future where all clothes will be biodegradable in some way shape or form.

What makes a Fabric Eco Friendly?

  1. What makes a fabric eco-friendly is the low impact it has on the environment.
  2. When manufacturing causes less pollution in the process of of making the product
  3. When fabric is naturally resistant to mold and mildew and is disease free
  4. When fabrics are pest tolerant and very easy to cultivate making it highly ecological

How the apparel Industry contributes to pollution

The apparel industry accounts for about 10% of the global carbon emission and remains the second largest global industrial polluter.  Collectively, the industry contributes 14 million tons of textiles that end up in us landfills each year.  Also, it is the second largest consumer of the worlds water supply; the fashion industry produces microplastics that pollute the ocean.  As the demand for cheap apparel grows each year the pollutants from the textile industry also increase in direct proportion.  Millions of microplastics are released in the ocean because of washing clothes that are not biodegradable.

Eco-friendly Fabrics that are biodegradable

Organic Cotton made from natural seeds with no harmful chemicals or pesticides used in the growing process. This fabric goes through a chemical free production process that uses no water, hence there is no contamination. Pact is a retailer that sells organic cotton. 

Bamboo

This fabric is naturally eco-friendly, it is made from the pulp of the bamboo tree with no pesticides needed to grow.  The fabric is biodegradable and easy to maintain. I would be remiss if I didn’t notate that during the final process in making this fabric, toxic waste is produced due to the chemicals used.  Conservationist points to that as a negative; nevertheless, bamboo is still better than many others in use today.

Hemp

Another fabric that uses no chemicals as part of the growing process is the hemp plant.  Hemp has a stronger fiber than any other fabric on the planet!  Clothing made from hemp is hypo-allergenic and is a non-irritant to skin.  Hemp doesn’t deplete soil nutrients and is easy to harvest. 

Tencel

I made from natural cellulose wood pulp and is fully biodegradable.  Earth friendly solvents is used in the process of creating Tencel.  When blended with cotton the fabric becomes wrinkle resistant and has a silky feel.  This fabric is soft and breathable and holds up well in warm weather.

Linen

Is a textile made from fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and super absorbent and dries faster than cotton.  Linen is a fast-growing low maintenance crop that is typically grown with rain water; it requires little to no chemicals for processing.  Linen is lightweight and a very comfortable fabric to wear in hot weather.

Recycled Wool

Is made using a mechanical process that uses recycled wool garments and mill scraps that is spun into new fabric.  By reusing recycled wool, we can eliminate the direct impact on sheep and on the environment.  Reusing fabric can save tons of old garment from entering landfills. Amazon is a big proponent of selling products that use recycled wool.

 

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