How Eco-Friendly Are Your Clothing Fabrics?

When I shop for clothes, I always look at the composition label and see if this includes any eco-friendly fabrics. This gives me an idea of the clothing item’s lifespan and the easiness of “caring” for that item.

So I created this *non-exhaustive* list of fabrics. I hope that you find it informative and that you learn more about the fabrics you wear.

If you have more to add, always feel free to share in the comments below!

Synthetic Fabrics

Polyester

Polyester is a petroleum-based plastic product. This became popular because it is a cheap fabric that dries quickly and has wrinkle-free and resistant properties.
There are different types of polyester. Textiles commonly use polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also used to make bottles. It takes about 70 million barrels of oil to produce the fabric polyester every year. Therefore, it is not biodegradable even if it eventually breaks apart. The manufacturing process requires lots of energy, water, and chemicals, including carcinogens, but most importantly, it requires oil extraction. There are different ways to do so, and all have the following negative effects on the environment:

• Air pollution due to chemicals, like methane, released into the atmosphere and heavily impacting the workers and the local residents;
• Water pollution due to chemical and toxic contaminant leaks, usually into local water supplies;
• Soil deterioration resulting from oil spills;
• Wildlife disturbance.

*This also applies to all petroleum-based fibers, such as nylon, acrylic, and spandex.

Thankfully, polyester is recyclable and many brands use recycled polyesters (also known as rPET) in their clothing. This is popular with activewear, outerwear, and swimwear brands. It does require another chemical process to break down, but it doesn’t use as much energy and resources to produce as virgin polyester. This is definitely a green alternative. It is also a great way to reuse non-biodegradable PET plastic and to reduce the need to make more. However, rPET still contributes to microplastic pollution. And it also doesn’t solve the problem of degradation.
In the meantime, if you have any plastic derived clothes in your wardrobe, use a washing bag, like the ones from Guppyfriend. This will filter as much microplastic fibers during your washes, and prevent them from going straight into the water streams/oceans.

Polyurethane (PU) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Commonly used to produce fake leather or “pleather” (plastic leather), PU and PVC derive from plastic and are non-biodegradable. Basically, both are fabric coated in plastic. Artificial leather is usually cheaper than genuine leather, is stain and water resistant, and doesn’t contain any animal products.

However, both require a lot of chemicals to produce. “Vinyl” clothing often uses PVC. It is made with petroleum and chlorine. During its production, it releases toxic chemicals like dioxins, which can damage the immune system, cause reproductive and developmental problems, and cause cancer, and phthalates, which can cause breathing problems, breast cancer and hormonal disruptions.
Most pleather clothes use PU. Its production also requires a lot of toxic chemicals, such as dimethylformamide, which is linked to cancer and birth defects.

There are alternatives to pleather and leather. More advanced technology now allows the creation of fake leather using vegetable/fruit waste or pulp. For example, there’s Piñatex, made from pineapple leaves. There are also leather fabrics made from apple pulp and fungi, aka mushrooms. Some are still in progress and there is still a lot to learn about these fabrics and their production. But it will be exciting to find out what they can do in the future.

Rayon

Rayon is a cellulosic material obtained from plant or wood pulp. While this fabric isn’t necessarily synthetic, it is manmade and considered “semisynthetic.” There are different types or “generations”, including viscose, modal, and lyocell. It is inexpensive, breathable, easy to dye, and great for both hot and cold weather. However, transforming the pulp into fabric does require a lot of energy and chemicals. Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), sulphuric acid, and carbon disulphide, linked to cancer, heart disease, and birth defects, are common chemicals in the dissolution and production of pulp. The process releases toxins in the air and waterways which impact the workers and local residents. In addition, “30% of the rayon and viscose going into clothing comes from dissolvable pulp sourced from endangered and ancient forests.”

Lyocell (also famously known as Tencel – a brand name) is the most eco-friendly fabric in the rayon generation. It comes from the eucalyptus trees. The production of lyocell still uses chemicals, but they’re mostly non toxic. Plus, it uses “a closed loop process where its solvent are recycled with a recovery rate of 99.5%.” However, the process of transforming the fibers into yarn or fabric varies. This means that fibers may be less sustainable and more toxic with the use of strong chemicals in the different transformation processes. Overall, Tencel is Oeko Tex 100 certified and is biodegradable.

Natural Fabrics

Plant-based Fabrics

Cotton

This fabric comes from the cotton plant. Cotton is durable, and absorbs and releases moisture quickly. However, its current production is quite unsustainable. Cotton manufacturing requires lots of water and contributes to soil deterioration. It takes about 20,000L of water to produce one kilogram of cotton, which is roughly one t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Because cotton is susceptible to diseases and insects, it also uses lots of pesticides and fertilizers, which can be a concern for the soil and water quality, as well as for the health of farmers and local residents.

Plus, because cotton is increasingly popular, farmers start using GMO seeds, which are more resistant and produce bigger yield, but still require chemical pesticides. Once farmers have stopped replanting natural cotton seeds, these seeds became less available and disappeared from local agriculture. In addition, GMO plants don’t produce fertile seeds, so farmers have to buy more GMO seeds.

Hence, always go for organic cotton and look for the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification! It is harvested without the use of GMOs and harmful chemicals. And therefore, it is biodegradable.

Hemp

Hemp comes from the cannabis sativa plant. *Don’t mistake it with MJ!*What’s great about the plant is that it grows quickly, requires no pesticides (naturally resistant to insects and diseases), and does not “overtire” the soil. It actually adds rich organic matter and helps the soil retain its moisture. Moreover, it is a renewable and biodegradable resource!
It is good for both cold and hot weather. It is slightly breathable meaning it absorbs and releases moisture quickly.

Linen

Linen comes from flax plant fibers. It is great for hot weather because it’s light and breathable, keeping you cool and dry. In addition, it is biodegradable as long as there aren’t any heavy chemical treatments. Usual linen producers do still use lots of chemicals such as herbicides and fertilizers, which result in high pollutants in water sources. Therefore, you should look for organic linen – this guarantees no use of chemicals.

Bamboo

Bamboo is made from the bamboo plant. It is a soft and durable fabric. It grows quickly without any type of pesticides and requires very little water to grow (compared to cotton). Moreover, bamboo shoots can be cut and it will re-grow new shoots. This means it doesn’t need to be replanted. Its fibers are also biodegradable. However, the process of turning bamboo into a fabric requires strong chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, which is corrosive and can be dangerous to workers.

Animal-based Fabrics

Silk

Spun from cocoons of silkworms, silk is a delicate fabric with a luxurious feel. It is not as breathable as other fabrics, meaning that they can cling on your skin when subjected to moisture. There are different ways of making silk fibers. The common way involves boiling/”softening” the cocoon while the silkworm moth is still inside. This way, the cocoon stays intact making it easier to produce a continuous thread. Furthermore, the silk production process uses “harmful metallic salts, bleaches and chemical dyes […] to improve the look and wearability of the silk.”

If you want to avoid any of these, look for “raw silk” which doesn’t use any harsh chemicals or “wild peace silk” which ensures the safest process for silkworms. This means that they’re not boiled alive and aren’t domesticated, so farmers harvest the cocoons from the wild and after the silkworms emerge from their cocoons.

Wool

There exist different types of wool, such as cashmere wool, angora wool, and alpaca wool. It is great for cold weather, and is naturally breathable as it absorbs and allows moisture to evaporate. However, it can slightly irritate your skin and feel uncomfortable.

The production of wool is “chemically heavy”. The animal is susceptible to pests and parasites, so farmers have to use enormous amounts of pesticides. These chemicals find their way in water streams and contaminate the groundwater. They’re moderately toxic to humans and have been linked to nervous system damage.
In addition, during the wool manufacturing process, harsh cleaning agents and bleaches are used to clean and whiten the wool. It also uses harsh chemical dyes, dioxins, formaldehyde, and other toxic additives, which are suspected to cause cancer.
Thankfully, organic wool exists! So if you don’t want any of those chemicals near your skin, and potentially “seeping” into your skin, choose organic.

Leather

Leather comes from the hide skin of different animals, mostly cattle. It is a durable and flexible fabric.
Even though it is a natural fabric, its production is actually harmful to the environment, the workers, and obviously, the animals.

Raising cattle already links to different environmental issues. You need lots of resources and land. In addition, cows release methane into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that has a negative effect 23 times more than CO2 on the climate.
Leather uses dangerous chemicals in its tanning and treatment process polluting water supplies. Most tanning and dyeing use chrome, a highly toxic process. Consequently, chromium leaks into water supplies making it undrinkable, and poisons the eco-system. This toxic chemical is very harmful to humans and causes a multitude of health problems, such as cancer.
For leather alternatives, you can look into vegetable/fruit derived leathers mentioned earlier. I also prefer buying up-cycled or secondhand/thrifted leather products. *You can take a look at my top 16 tips on charity thrift shopping to help you find your next leather piece.*

So what materials are best? What are the eco-friendly fabrics? It’s definitely difficult to say as each have an impact on the environment. We have to compare both the impact of the fabric’s production and of its waste. Organic certified fabrics are generally better than its counterparts. Therefore, choose these “eco-friendly fabrics” over others whenever you can.