
Chemically-intensively material processing (plasticizing, bleaching, softening, and dyeing).Environmentally devastating sourcing of raw materials (unsustainable farming, deforestation, and petroleum drilling).cotton, viscose fabric, leather, among many others-have historically been developed with profit (not planet) in mind, entailing: Well, first let’s touch on what makes an unsustainable clothing fabric.Ĭonventional fabrics used in fashion and home goods-i.e.

What makes a fabric sustainable? How do you know if fabric is sustainable really? You know the type of fabric used for those sustainable socks or t-shirt will determine how much environmental degradation it ends up causing-but what does “sustainable fabric” mean”? So while you definitely be asking #whomademyclothes, perhaps the first question we should ask is, “What are my clothes made of?”. What’s more, there are different manufacturing processes, certification schemes, and conflicting practices for almost .īut in order to promote a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry, it’s critical we as consumers understand these differences-at least on a basic level.Īfter all, materials are what most determine the environmental impact of our clothes, directly contributing to: consumption of water, microplastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, rainforest destruction and lastly landfill waste of epic proportions.īy choosing eco-friendly fabrics alone, you’re taking a huge step toward a more sustainable wardrobe. Fabrics made from apples and pineapples? What?! When trying to read clothing labels these days, it’s easy to get buried in all the (potentially) sustainable fabrics.Īnd so much of the innovation is just, well…strange.
