Sewing with Eco-Friendly Fabrics
What are the most sustainable fabrics on the market right now?
The clothing industry is dirty and a significant contributor to environmental & human damage.
With so many problems going on these days - climate change, microplastic pollution, deforestation, soil degradation and destruction, loss of coral reefs & biodiversity, water scarcity and finally, landfill waste of epic proportions.
Good news is that there is sustainable and ethical fashion options and sewing your own clothes using eco-friendly fabrics is definitely one of them. But home sewing isn’t automatically ethical or sustainable, therefore sometimes we all need to remember what fabrics we are sewing with. Positively, these days is easy to find environmentally friendly fabrics – if you know how to search.
With this in mind, we’ve come up with a simple breakdown below, of what fabrics to use to make a difference, from a eco-friendly point of view #sustainablesewing #ecofriendlysewing
SUSTAINABLE Plant-based fibres
Organic cotton
It is a great fabric for beginner sewists as it is very forgiving and easy to sew!
There are no chemicals or pesticides used for growing. This means the cotton is stronger and healthier for your skin (when made into clothing)
The cotton fibres are hand picked, maintaining the purity of the fibres
Organic cotton farming is more sustainable from an ecological perspective than conventional cotton, using 62% less energy (and 88% less water) than conventional cotton. This surprising fact has surprised many.
It is absorbent, leaving you cool and comfortable
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Certifications: USDA-Certified Organic (GOTS), Organic Content Standard OCS (OCS), Better Cotton Standard (Fair Trade, Bluesign and Oekotex 100)
Recycled cotton
Recycled cotton can be made from either post-industrial or post-consumer waste
It is made with industry fabric scraps or other recycled cotton garments
It is a way to stop fashion waste in landfills.
It is, however, difficult to obtain certifications or regulations because it is hard to determine where the recycled cotton came from
It is also difficult to determine if recycled cotton is pure cotton and could be composted. A garment can be recycled into recycled cotton even if it has a synthetic blend, as long as it is less than 4%
Certifications & Standard: Global Recycled Standard, Recycled Content Standard and Oeko-Tex 100
Organic hemp
Hemp is one of the most environmentally-friendly natural fabrics
It is made from the fibres in the herbaceous plant of the species cannabis sativa
It is high-yielding, and its growth is healthy for soil (thanks to a process called phytoremediation)
It's a high-yield crop that produces significantly more fibre per acre than either cotton or linen
Requires less water than cotton
It is a very durable and strong fabric. Hemp fabrics are also hypo-allergenic and non-irritating to the skin
Hemp blended with bamboo or cotton will be softer than 100% hemp
It’s considered a carbon negative raw material. It absorbs CO2 in the atmosphere
It is a sun-protective, antimicrobial and it takes on the moisture from your skin (+ evaporates into the air), leaving you nice and cool
Hemp fabric will soften with age and each wash
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Certifications & Standards: USDA-Certified Organic (GOTS), Organic Content Standard OCS (OCS), Oeko-Tex 100 and Bluesign
Organic linen
It is a great fabric for beginner sewists as it is very forgiving and easy to sew!
In terms of sustainability, linen is nearly identical to hemp
Linen is made from the flax plant, with minimal end wastage
Linen is super lightweight and breathable
It can be laborious to manufacturer, though the fibre is very strong (hence why it can be costly)
Like hemp, it has amazing cooling properties and it takes on the moisture from your skin
It requires little fertilizer, pesticide, or irrigation to grow. However, unlike hemp, linen isn’t as high-yielding
Linen will soften with age and each wash
Linen is loved for its reliability and popularity. This fabric can be found in everything, from linen sheets to linen clothing
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Certifications & Standards: USDA-Certified Organic (GOTS), Organic Content Standard OCS (OCS), Oeko-Tex 100 and Bluesign
Organic bamboo
Bamboo can be harvested without harming the plant
It can be regenerated very quickly, making it one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet
Bamboo, like hemp, consumes more CO2 per year than other trees. Bamboo doesn’t need a lot of input and can live on rain alone
Bamboo that has been mechanically processed is a healthier-for-Earth way to wear bamboo, but it only makes up a small percentage of what you can find on the market
It would help if you looked for an organic bamboo fabric that is raw and not one that has been plasticized into bamboo rayon/viscose
Certifications and Standards: Forest Stewardship Council. USDA-Certified Organic. Global Organic Textile Standard. (GOTS). Organic Content Standard. (OCS), Fair Trade. Oeko-Tex 100
Tencel®
Tencel can also be known as lyocell or modal
It is a cellulose fibre, made by dissolving wood pulp. The fibers are produced from the pulp of eucalyptus wood. Before drying, the wood chips are mixed with a solvent to produce a wet mixture. This mixture is then pushed through small holes to form threads, chemically treated, then the lengths of fibre are spun into yarn and woven into cloth
The process is closely measured and monitored to ensure minimal ecological footprint. Chemicals, water, solvents, etc. are all carefully selected and/or treated so there is no harm to the environment
It’s light and versatile, and used in everything from casual wear to underwear to activewear
Compared to cotton in particular, Tencel fabric has a significantly smaller environmental impact, requiring much 10 to 20 times less water and no pesticides
It is also 50% more absorbent than cotton
It is breathable and less susceptible to odours (and bacterial growth)
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Certifications & Standards: Oeko-Tex 100, Forest Stewardship Council
Animal-derived materials
Merino wool
It is a natural fiber obtained from Merino wool, comes from the merino sheep (local to Spain, Australia and NZ)
Compostable, natural, and free from plastic fibers. No other fibre, natural or man-made, can match all of wool’s naturally inherent benefits
It is a very soft fibre, with a natural shine
No chemicals are used in the process
Merino wool is comfortable to wear, has a high level of UV protection and is both hypoallergenic and breathable
Great for sensitive skin. Merino wool is not itchy, it won’t irritate your skin, compared to some standards wools
It can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture and still feel dry
When it’s hot it will wick the dampness from your body preventing the normal odours you get from wearing wool.
It takes dyes beautifully
It is very elastic as it can stretch up to 50% of its original length. So wool fabrics do not lose their shape or wrinkle easily
It is a good temperature regulator. It helps insulate the body, keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer
Ethical merino does exist, especially if it’s sourced from New Zealand where animal welfare standards are extremely high and mulesing is not practiced
Wool is made from renewable atmospheric carbon. When disposed of, wool acts like a fertiliser by slowly releasing valuable nutrients and carbon back into the soil
It is thermo-regulating, easy to care for, and can be repaired and enjoyed for years and years
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Certifications & Standards: ZQ Merino Standard, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Woolmark, and Climate Beneficial by Fibershed
Silk
Silk is created by fibres made by the insects, silkworms
Silkworms will only live on mulberry trees
The silkworms spin cocoons, which are then turned into silk fibres through various processes (not vegan friendly)
The fabric is highly breathable and moisture wicking (like linen)
Silk is the strongest natural textile in the world!
Silk fabric is soft and floaty - often very fine
Its fibres have a triangular prism-like structure, meaning that they reflect light at various angles, resulting in subtle rainbow hues
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle (when sewn with cotton thread)
Futuristic and innovative fabrics
Econyl
Econyl is simply recycled nylon
It uses synthetic waste from ocean plastic, abandoned fishing nets, waste fabric
It feels exactly the same as nylon and doesn’t require as much water
It has opened up sustainable posibilities for eco friendly swimwear
It has still been associated with some of those annoying microplastics that end up in our waterways
Certifications & Standards: Global Recycle Standard, Recycled Content Standard (RCS), and Oeko-Tex 100
Pinatex
Piñatex comes from pineapples and it is sustainable and cruelty-free replacement for leather
It reduces waste and it’s essentially a food byproduct, made from scrap pineapple leaves that are otherwise burned
It is biodegradable at the end of it’s life cycle when sewn with cotton thread (some Pinatex brands cover it in non-biodegradable resins which sort of defeats the point)
Certifications & Standards: Oeko-Tex 100
Bananatex®
It is a natural cellulosic biodegradable fabric made of Abacá banana plant fibres (also known as Manila hemp)
Abacá variety grow in organic forestry. The plants are grown in the Philippine Islands, in the province of Catanduanes
Growing abacá plants can reduce erosion, increase biodiversity and enrich the soil
The part of the plant used to make the fabric are the stems, which regenerate completely within one year of harvest
Banana plant is said to be self-sufficient, and requires no chemical threatments such as pesticides, fertiliser, nor any irrigation or extra water
It is incredibly strong and durable, while remaining soft, lightweight and supple. Making it ideal for the production of bags and backpacks
The natural beeswax coating gives it a smooth, water-resistant finish
You could possibly eat the final product
It was developed to have better wear characteristics than cotton while being more sustainable
In one year, a banana tree can offset the CO2 emissions of production and transport of more than 10 bags
It has the potential to be a truly circular alternative to synthetic fabrics already on the market, contributing to reforestation in areas once eroded due to monocultural palm plantations while enhancing biodiversity and the economic prosperity of its farmers
Certifications & Standards: The yarn dyeing method applied is Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified
