The fashion industry has been accused of causing significant environmental damage, and unless we start making sustainable choices immediately, the situation will only worsen. The advent of fast fashion has led to more than 85 per cent of clothing¹ produced each year ending up in landfills in the United States alone, with the textile sector responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. This amounts to approximately 2,150 pieces² per second nationwide and 81.5 pounds (37 kilograms) per person each year.

Fast fashion manufacturers often rely on virgin synthetic materials, as they are quick to produce and relatively inexpensive, allowing them to keep up with demand. Synthetic textiles such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic constitute 7.7 per cent of municipal solid waste in landfills, taking decades or even longer to biodegrade. A 6 kg wash releases 496,030 fibres³ from polyester and 728,789 fibres from acrylic. The discharge rate of a polyester-cotton blend is about 137,951 fibres. Most polyester is non-biodegradable and takes up to 200 years to degrade, leaving behind pollutants. Therefore, it is time to slow down and pay close attention to the labels on our clothing.

In order to decrease our contribution to the pollution caused by the textile industry, one method is to make a more thoughtful purchase by shopping for garments made responsibly. Conscious clothing can mean many different things. And in today’s world, it is easy to get lost in the sea of seemingly sustainable fibres when trying to read garment labels. But how can we determine which fabrics are environmentally friendly and which are not? There isn’t a single ‘ideal fabric’ that can address every issue. All new materials require resources to produce, and while we love vintage and used clothing, depending on the material, these items may also contribute to the microplastics problem.

What Makes Fabric & Materials Sustainable?

Aiming to minimise harm caused by the manufacturing process, the characteristics of the fibres, or the overall environmental impact, sustainable fabrics are often made from natural or recycled materials. These materials can also contribute to waste management, water conservation, reduced carbon emissions, and soil regeneration, although, as previously mentioned, no fabric is entirely sustainable.

These days, the term ‘sustainable fabrics’ is often used to group various eco-friendly materials, and several fabrics have earned the ‘sustainable’ title for different reasons. However, just like sustainability, fabrics are a moving target, and no single fabric can do it all. The hope is that we can develop a more transparent fashion industry through ethical production and environmentally friendly growing methods.

Here, we will discuss some most commonly used sustainable clothing materials, and which ethics and sustainability certifications to consider when shopping them, so that you know how to choose the best option for you!

Sustainable Clothing Materials

Organic cotton: At the top of the list of sustainable fabrics is organic cotton, one of the most natural textiles available.

Unlike traditional cotton cultivation, which is often referred to as the “dirtiest crop in the world”, organic cotton uses 62 per cent less energy⁴ and 88 per cent less water overall. This is because it is grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilisers and processed without the use of chemicals.

A number of certifications are associated with ethical and sustainable cotton production, indicating that the cotton was A) grown without the use of chemicals or machine harvesting, and B) processed without the use of chemicals, resulting in a chemical-free finished garment.

This eco-friendly material is used in various textiles, including organic comforters and cotton pyjamas.

Hemp: One of the most environmentally friendly natural materials available is hemp fabric. It has a high yield, uses little water or chemicals, and benefits soil through phytoremediation, or cleaning pollutants like heavy metals and other toxins.

Hemp is considered a raw material with negative carbon emissions, as it absorbs more CO2 from the environment than the average plant. Hemp tends to be somewhat more expensive than other sustainable organic materials due to its numerous wearable benefits (such as being naturally antimicrobial and UV protective) and because it is more difficult to grow, but we can expect to see more of it in the future.

For many years, there was no way to certify organic hemp. However, that has changed recently, and the cultivation of organic hemp is now supervised by various certifying organisations that fall under the purview of the US Department of Agriculture.

Linen: In terms of sustainability and their incredibly light and breathable finished materials, linen and hemp are practically identical. Organic linen is derived from the flax plant, whose growth requires little to no fertiliser, pesticide, or irrigation inputs.

Organic linen is more of a luxury good than hemp because it isn’t as high-yielding and only thrives in certain conditions (mostly in Europe).

Cork: Cork fabric has gradually found its way onto our bodies after leaving the board and the bottle. Cork can be harvested responsibly by simply removing the bark from a cork oak tree (yes, cork comes from a tree). Quercus suber should be harvested in order to extend its life.

Cork plantations serve as a carbon sink, as cork trees have the capacity to absorb more carbon dioxide than most other types of trees while they are regrowing their bark. Additionally, cork contributes significantly to a unique ecosystem that harbours various plant and animal species.

The cork can be taken every 9 to 12 years from a mature tree, dried out in the sun, and then transformed into something suitable for clothing by adding water. It has gained popularity as one of the most environmentally friendly vegan leather substitutes for vegan handbags and shoes.

Recycled Polyester (rPET): Numerous brands have developed strategies to give plastic bottles, bags, and textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills a second chance because single-use plastics are wreaking havoc on our environment.

Recycled polyester is created from the most common type of plastic, frequently recycled plastic bottles (hence the name rPET). rPET is adaptable and can take on a variety of textures and purposes, from light and thin stretchy sustainable activewear to fluffy and thick fleece, just like virgin polyester and other synthetic materials.

For years, it has been the go-to eco-friendly activewear fabric for companies like Patagonia and Reformation. However, PET can only be recycled so many times before its quality deteriorates to the point where it must be discarded, in addition to releasing microplastics.

Lyocell: Lyocell fabric has seen significant growth among the new sustainable textiles, and for good reason.

Lyocell is a cellulosic or semi-synthetic fabric that is technically a type of rayon fabric (which traditionally has not been among the most environmentally friendly fabrics). It is created from the wood pulp of trees, typically eucalyptus trees, which do not require a lot of water or pesticides to grow. However, not all lyocell is made equally.

The most environmentally friendly option is TENCEL lyocell, a trademark of Lenzing, a renowned Austrian manufacturer. TENCEL lyocell is produced using a closed-loop system that recycles 99.5 per cent of the water⁵ and solvents used during production. It is derived from forests that are sustainably managed.

Modal: Another semi-synthetic fabric known for its comfort and breathability is modal. It is a popular choice for drapey garments like fair trade dresses because it is an affordable silk substitute. Modal is made from beech trees, similar to lyocell, which is created from pulped eucalyptus wood.

The chemicals used in its production are more caustic than those used in the creation of lyocell, although they are less wasteful and chemically intensive than conventional rayon/viscose production. It is not always done in a closed-loop system, just like with lyocell, so you should look for transparent lyocell users or opt for carbon-neutral TENCEL modal.

SCOBY Leather: Your kombucha bottle’s unearthly floating mass offers a more environmentally friendly leather alternative. SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), a mass of living cultures used to ferment kombucha, can also be used to create leather.

The SCOBY leather is laid out on a mould, where it dries and hardens into a material that can be used to make shoes, wallets, and clothing out of tea. Genuine leather is considerably more expensive than SCOBY leather, which uses no animals, is compostable and biodegradable, and avoids heavy metals or other tanning chemicals.

Apple Leather: Apple leather is created from waste products from the apple juice industry and is also referred to as Frumat or Pellemela. It is one of the most durable sustainable materials, completely biodegradable, waterproof, and breathable on its own (beware of additional coatings).

Because of this, you will primarily see it in high-wear items like sustainable purses, wallets, and footwear.

Woocoa: Vegan wool made from plants could be the future of sustainable building materials. One of these is woocoa, which is made of hemp, coconut fibres, and enzymes from mushrooms.

Although this material is not yet widely available, it is part of a growing trend. Keep an eye out for more fungal fashion, as mushrooms have been incorporated into several sustainable vegan materials.

QMilk: The “material of the future”, according to QMilk, is something that sounds quite futuristic. It combines casein, a by-product of the dairy industry and a milk protein, to create a non-vegan fabric that is compostable, flame resistant, and velvety smooth.

Clothing Material Derived from Animals

Sheep wool: Wool is one of the most often used materials in environmentally friendly outdoor apparel since it is a natural fibre with many of the advantages of synthetics derived from petroleum, such as the ability to wick away moisture and regulate body temperature.

It is a durable fabric that biodegrades naturally and does not require a lot of chemicals during processing. Chemicals can even be avoided in favour of natural, eco-friendly dyes because wool readily accepts them.

The majority of animal husbandry, including those that breed sheep for wool, has been linked to environmental degradation and land removal, nevertheless.

Cashmere: One of the most popular biodegradable textiles in the world for luxuriously soft sustainable sweaters, cashmere has thin fibres that are 15 microns in size (compared to 100 microns of human hair). Sadly, it is also linked to a lot of environmental impact concerns, ethical issues involving the working conditions of goat herders, and ecological issues resulting from goat farming itself.

Raised in mountainous areas of Asian countries like Mongolia, cashmere goats worsen the desertification of already vulnerable alpine ecosystems. It is possible to obtain cashmere in an ethical and sustainable manner, but it is crucial to read the fine print. Look for farms that free-range goats across large tracts of land using hand-combing techniques, allowing the earth to recover between grazing.

Upcycled or vegetable tanned leather: Traditional leather, made from an animal’s skin, has rightly come under fire for ethical and environmental concerns. Either 1 billion animals are killed every year for their leather, which is not good, or leather is produced as a by-product of the meat industry, which is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and cruel treatment of animals.

The tanning process also uses about 250 chemicals and heavy metals, including arsenic and cyanide, which is harmful to both the environment and tannery workers. If you choose virgin leather, make sure the skins are sourced as a by-product and that they are tanned using vegetable-based materials (or at the very least, ones that are chrome-free).

Vegetable-tanned leather is a more environmentally friendly option, but it is not perfect because it takes a while for it to decompose despite being a natural fibre.

Down: Down is indeed very popular, from organic pillows to environmentally friendly outerwear. But because down feathers are made from duck or goose feathers, it has also drawn a lot of criticism.

From a sustainability perspective, down makes use of by-products from the world’s food sector that would otherwise be discarded. However, the ethical aspect of down production, such as the treatment of ducks and geese, cannot be overlooked. To ensure more ethical sourcing, look for down products that are certified by organisations like the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).

Ending Note

Poor fabric selection is a major contributor to unsustainable fashion. Numerous materials that end up in our clothing often cause harm to either or both people and animals, or the environment.

However, sustainable textiles have a promising future. The best sustainable clothing companies are constantly experimenting with sustainable textiles, both new and old, including natural fibres, sustainable synthetic fibres, and innovative futuristic fibres. We can support such companies in their pursuit of an eco-friendlier fashion industry by stocking our minimal wardrobe with items made of sustainable materials. Additionally, educating ourselves on sustainability and ethical practices of the brands we choose to purchase from can help us make more informed decisions and will contribute to a more responsible fashion world.