You’ll often hear that fashion is one of the largest polluters worldwide, why is that? Besides the huge amounts of fast fashion that end up in landfill it’s also the production and the large number of resources needed to produce garments that make it polluting.
Many materials require lots of water and chemicals during the production process. This is not sustainable, on the contrary it’s very damaging to the planet. Besides this, animal-based materials such as leather and wool are best avoided as they are unethical and exploit living animals.
Luckily, there are many sustainable alternatives. We have gathered our top 3 for you. When shopping keep an eye out for the certifications brands work with, this will also give you an indication of whether or not the clothing is sustainable and ethical.
- Hemp
Hemp is a fibre and has been used for thousands of years in for example clothing. In its pure form it resembles the texture of linen, a nice and light fabric for summer. It’s sustainable because it doesn’t take a lot of water to grow and it’s bio-based and biodegradable. Organic hemp is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, even better!
- Tencel lyocell
Perhaps less known, but definitely deserves to be known: Tencel or Tencel lyocell. Lyocell is a plant-based fibre, light and versatile, and can be used in anything from casual clothing, active wear, to underwear. Lyocell is made from wood pulp and sustainable because 99% of its solvent can be recycled which makes it eco-friendly.
- Organic cotton
Conventional cotton (which is what most traditional tees are made out of) is not sustainable. Yes, cotton is a natural fibre, but it requires lots of water and chemicals to grow. Organic cotton on the other hand is a more sustainable alternative. At Susty Wear, we choose to use organic cotton because it sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people by using natural farming processes. This means no toxic chemicals and 91% less water are used than with non-organic cotton.
These are just three of the sustainable and eco-friendly materials out there. Which eco-friendly and sustainable materials do you like to wear?