Do You know your ecovero from your eco-polyester? Can you see Greenwashing fabric? I spoke to sustainable fashion experts to find out which fabrics can be avoided, what you should accept and whether polyester is really the root of all evil.
Disclaimer: If you read this and find that you already have fabrics, I have taken the naughty step, don't throw them out. Wear and enjoy them as long as possible and then recycle them if possible.
How to choose more environmentally friendly fabrics
Don't buy
Most sustainable fashion experts agree that it is better to avoid fibers produced by humans, which are not biodegradable and notoriously low on a petroleum basis. “The worst offenders are Virgin Polyester and Acrylic,” says Bianca Alleyne, founder of Sustainly Influided. “Both shed microplastics and have a huge CO2 footprint.”
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Search for natural fibers such as linen, organic cotton and wool with recognized certifications such as GOTS (global organic textile standard). “I am a bit obsessed with working with cotton and how much you can do with it,” says Natalie Hasseck, Creative Director at The Brand Rise & Fall. “You can do it in a contemporary and almost architectural or wispy, soft and gentle manner.”
Alleyne is a fan of linen to produce the least effective fabrics, since it comes from flax that does not require pesticides, minimal water, can grow in bad soil, and to wear it softer and more comfortable with increasing age. It is also worth keeping an eye on semi-synthetic viscose fabrics such as Tencel and Ecovero, which are less carbon and water intense than normal viscose. In the meantime, circulose is produced using 100% recycled cotton textile waste.
What is the beef with polyester?
An estimated 57% of all fiber produced worldwide are polyester. It is cheap and ahmt more premium fabrics. What is so bad about this ubiquitous fiber? “From the perspective of a wearer, Polyester does not breathe,” says Alleyne. “It catches the heat and sweat of what the clothes can make uncomfortable.”
Polyester arises from oil, which means that it has an enormous environmental impact and releases microplastics with every laundry. “In order to extract it and convert into fiber, it has to go through an extremely chemically loaded process, from overturning to color,” says Leigh Morris, a consultant for sustainability and product development that has been working in fashion and retail for more than 20 years and is now teaching its environmental and social effects. “Polyester needs hundreds of years to break down while pouring out toxins and chemicals into the ground.”
How to discover red flags
“When something has been marketed as a natural fiber, check the care label to determine whether it has been mixed with plastic synthetic (polyester, nylon, acrylic). This is a common tactic with high-street and fast fashion brands to achieve the appearance. is to be true, like “vegan leather”, which is actually polyurethane or “Öko -Polyester”. Brands Bamboozle customers believe that “vegan leather” means a step forward, a step forward or a sustainable choice.
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Are mixed fibers ever okay?
This is a differentiated topic since mixing may Make a piece of clothing longer, but in general it makes it almost impossible to separate and recycle synthetic fibers with natural – for example polycotton – at the end of the life of the garment. “You will see something as a” silk polo “, the 15% silk, 40% cotton and the rest is elastane. Luxury brands often use mixtures, but label and praise their products as if they were pure,” says Hauchseck.
Polyester is easy to mix. “This remains the main road with the considerable opportunity to maximize your profit by interfering or completely replacing it with other premium fibers [the premium fibres]”, Says Morris.” While this sounds like a common sense from a business perspective, they are actually sold a below -average product, and the effects on the environment are enormous. “
Pay attention to knitting clothes
Did you notice that knitting paths are not always wool? Retailers want to replace synthetics as a cost reduction exercise. “Brands will point out that this will be done in order to make the clothing prices accessible as financially as possible. The real reason is maximization of profits. We see these switches at a price of over 200 GBP,” says Morris. “Wool is naturally breathable, body temperature regulation and incredibly durable, with antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties and at the same time biodegradable. If you switch to the synthetic, all of these advantages will be eliminated.” A good natural vegan alternative to wool is cotton knitwear.
Where should you shop?
In addition to brands such as Rise & Fall, many other natural fibers use high-quality clothing that keeps with a lower environmental and social effects. Alleyne recommends ninety percent for quality bases.
“To be budget-conscious, but still make it accessible to natural fibers of great quality, try second-hand platforms such as Vinted and Ebay and Prelive companies such as Goldie Vintage, almost new cashmere and re-led,” says Morris. She is also committed to shopping in Patrick Grants Community Clothing, which focuses on keeping the production of British clothing alive. Of course, we should all buy less in general, so it makes sense to invest in better quality in less pieces that are responsible at the end of their lives.
Hannah Rochell is a fashion functionator who on writing and experiencing – slow, comfortable style and livelihood of Slovette, long -term and experience – Slovette