From cotton to Modal, there’s a sustainable fabric out there that will make your closet greener. It’s a good thing, too, because a garbage truck of textile waste is sent to landfills or burned every second!
The fashion industry makes a sizeable contribution to climate change, and it’s up to us to change things around. Choose organic, sustainable fabrics, and you’ll reduce your eco-footprint.
Recycled Cotton
Recycled cotton is a sustainable fabric that is made from recycled textile waste. It is a much greener alternative to regular cotton because it requires less energy and water. It also reduces the need for raw materials. Typically, this cotton is combined with new cotton to improve its quality. The best-recycled cotton is produced through closed-loop processes that minimize energy and water use.
Recycled fabric is usually sourced from pre-industrial or pre-consumer waste from the scraps and cuttings of garment production. It is easier to sort and recycle than post-consumer waste, which is often a blend of various fabrics and fibers and has been washed and worn. This recycled fabric can be used in new clothing, home textiles, and fashion accessories.
The recycling process is mechanical and begins by collecting industrial or consumer waste, sorting it by category and color, and then shredding it into crude fiber. It is then spun into yarns that can be used to create new textile products.
Consider third-party certifications like RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) and GRS (Global Recycled Standard) when shopping for recycled cotton. These certifications ensure that the recycled cotton is high-quality and is produced responsibly.
Lyocell
Lyocell is a semi-synthetic fabric that is incredibly eco-friendly. This innovative textile is a form of cellulose fibers spun from wood pulp, usually eucalyptus (although it can also be made from bamboo or oak). It is then treated with low-impact synthetic chemicals. The resulting material feels like cotton or silk but drapes and moves much more like linen. It’s a great summer fabric that is airy yet breathable.
The eucalyptus used for lyocell is often sourced from FSC and PEFC-certified forests, or in the case of bamboo, from non-GMO trees that don’t require pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation. Additionally, eucalyptus grows quickly, reducing deforestation risk, and uses less water than standard fiber crops like cotton. The lyocell process is an extremely sustainable, closed-loop system that recycles more than 99.5% of the solvents and emits non-toxic waste. You’ll find this new, luxe, sustainable fabric in various high-end luxury brands offering tees, dresses, and undergarments.
Modal
Modal is a new fabric in the Rayon family that’s taking the fashion world by storm. It’s soft, breathable, and stretchy, making it great for pants and t-shirts. It’s also less likely to cling to your skin when wet and can help you feel cool in hot weather.
Like viscose rayon, Modal is made from cellulose, the natural cell fiber in all vegetation. However, unlike conventional cotton, Modal is only created from the pulp of renewable beech trees that require minimal water and can grow on land unsuitable for other crops. This allows Modal to be given the green light as a more eco-conscious alternative.
Despite being more sustainable than viscose, Modal can still cause some environmental concerns. The largest concern is sourcing the wood used to make modal fabric. According to Canopy, a Canadian NGO that promotes the sustainability of forests, 150 million trees are logged each year to produce dissolving pulp used in fabrics like Modal and viscose.
To combat this issue, choose brands that use Modal only from forests certified as PEFC and FSC.
Hemp
Hemp is one of the most sustainable fabrics in terms of environmental impact, particularly compared to cotton. The crop requires less water and can replace soil nutrients, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. It also grows faster and resists many pests, requiring fewer herbicides and fungicides. It is one of the strongest natural textiles and is biodegradable.
Like linen, hemp is breathable and has great thermo-regulating properties to keep you cool in warm weather and warm when it gets cold. It is also highly absorbent, so you can machine-wash and dry hemp clothes with minimal energy consumption. Hemp also softens better than linen and doesn’t wrinkle as much. It is also naturally antimicrobial, resisting mold and mildew. It can be dyed with natural pigments and is naturally UV protective. If untreated, hemp is completely biodegradable in the natural environment, decomposing in weeks to months.
However, the sustainability of hemp can be negatively affected by its supply chain. Depending on the processing method, extracting the fibers from the plant can take a lot of energy. As such, it is not uncommon for crop cultivation, fabric manufacturing, and final hemp production in different towns, countries, or even continents. This can lead to some negative impacts, including air, water, and ecological pollution (both chemical and biological). One way to reduce this is by buying from brands that source their hemp locally, which can be done through Fair Trade certifications.
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