Trying to make your wardrobe more sustainable? The environment will thank you, and in some cases, so will your wallet. Here are some of the best sustainable fabrics for the environment.
The most sustainable fabric is one you already own, so have fun shopping your closet! Look in drawers and pull things out from the back of your closet. Get creative and make what’s old new again.
The second most sustainable fabric is anything secondhand, like thrifted and vintage. While your local shops will have good selections, the rise of secondhand fashion has led to an abundance of online options like the RealReal, ThredUP, and Poshmark.
Now, onto the best fabrics you can find new and in-store.
Natural fibers tend to be better for the environment, but this isn’t always the case. Materials like cotton actually require a lot of water and resources to produce, but recycled and organic varieties of cotton are great workarounds. Here are some of our favorite fabrics, in no particular order.
Hemp
Linen
Bamboo
Organic cotton
Organic cotton growers do not use chemicals which are harmful to workers and the environment. Avoiding the use of these chemicals makes the soil better able to produce crops in the following growth cycles.
Tencel/Lyocell
Lyocell is a new fabric you may know by its branded name Tencel. It’s made with wood pulp, similar to rayon and viscose, but undergoes a different closed-loop manufacturing process.
Viscose
Viscose is made from the wood pulp of trees, which can be sustainable given that it comes from a certified responsible forestry.
Innovative Fabrics
Synthetic spider silk - This developing fabric is an exciting new alternative to silkworm silk, but research is still ongoing to figure out how to create a market-sized quantity, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for this one.
“THE MOST SUSTAINABLE FABRIC IS THE ONE YOU ALREADY OWN”
Fabrics to Avoid
Polyester
A common fabric, you probably know and own polyester as one of the cheapest materials out there. It is also one of the most polluting materials and releases toxic chemicals into our environment.
Blended fabrics
While new technologies are being developed to separate the fibers of blended fabrics, like H&M’s breakthrough in the separation of cotton-polyester blends, they are still not widely used. For this reason, it’s better to stay clear of blended fabrics like if you plan on one day recycling that item of clothing.
