







Hemp. Hemp is considered one of the good guys because it requires no pesticides or herbicides and requires no irrigation. It even improves the soil wherever it’s grown. It also has strong, naturally long fibers that can be spun with minimal processing. However, hemp is not well regulated, so there is little monitoring of chemicals that growers may or may not have used. You just have to take their word for it.

Recycled polyester. An increasingly popular textile marketed as eco-friendly is polyester that is recycled to make new polyester. Basically, it’s used clothing that’s been shredded and processed to produce new fabric. How eco-friendly it really is depends on one’s perspective. On one hand, it’s polyester, which is not a natural fiber, so that’s a minus. But it’s saving old clothing from being dumped in landfills, so that’s a plus. But it’s processed with chemicals, so that’s a minus again. Yet it takes less processing than if the fabric was made from scratch, so that’s another plus.

PET recycled fabric. It sounds like a miracle: polyester fabric made from recycled water bottles. What a great use for all those millions of plastic water bottles we throw away every day. Just be aware again of the toxic chemicals and processing necessary to turn that bottle into a fleece jacket.

Tencel. Another man-made fiber, Tencel is made from wood pulp from managed forests. Because it’s made from wood, Tencel is biodegradable. It’s produced using less energy and water than conventional fabrics, and processed with a non-toxic chemical that is continually recycled. The resulting fabric is breathable, with a hand that can feel like suede or silk. Just be sure to check the label to make sure that the Tencel was made from sustainable wood.

As you can see, sifting through all the organic and eco-friendly claims can be confusing. But while there probably is no one “perfect” sustainable fabric, at least environmental efforts in the textile and fashion design industries are heading in the right direction. We just need to be educated, and learn to distinguish truth from hype.

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Source by Lily McCallister

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