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FABRICS

If you are interested in investigating the impact of what we wear, here below you can find a list of fabrics, divided according to their sustainability.​

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Do not forget that, in order to evaluate how sustainable a garment is, it's not enough to refer to this information only. It's certainly important, but not necessarily always discriminating; in fact there are many other factors that take over the life cycle of a garment.

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We have to be more aware and thoughtful in our purchases, certainly worrying about what materials they are made of, but also about where they were made, in which conditions, with which values.

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We invite you to always be informed and never forget that each of us has a duty to our Planet. It is not necessary to seek absolute perfection, but to constantly strive to improve. Every little effort counts.

ECO-FRIENDLY FABRICS

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  ALPACA

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  • Natural fibre

  • Alpacas need little water and food to live

  • No soil erosion (alpacas cut the grass they eat instead of pulling it out, allowing the grass to keep growing)

  • No insecticides used

  • Extremely durable

  • Great support for Peru communities

  • Biodegradable

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  CUPRO  

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  • Regenerated cellulose fabric made from cotton waste

  • Closed-loop system, chemicals and wastewater can be reused

  • Less dye (cupro absorbs color more easily)

  • Biodegradable

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  HEMP

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  • Renewable fibre that grows extremely quickly

  • Low water and energy need

  • It doesn't require pesticides or fertilizers to grow

  • Very good for soil

  • It produces 2 times more fiber per acre than cotton

  • Versatile and durable

  • Biodegradable

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  LINEN

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  • Natural fibre

  • Low need of water, energy, pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers

  • Good for soil

  • Flax plants have a high rate of CO2 absorption

  • Biodegradable

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  LYOCELL/TENCEL

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  • Made from wood pulp of Eucalyptus trees

  • Closed-loop system that recycles almost all of the chemicals used

  • Eucalyptus trees grow quickly without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation

  • Great perspiration properties allow fewer washings, saving water and energy

  • Biodegradable

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  ORANGE FIBER

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  • Made from orange skins coming from juice industry wastes

  • Biodegradable

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  ORGANIC COTTON

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  • Natural fibre

  • Non-GMO seeds

  • No use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers

  • Environmentally-friendly farming practices to preserve the soil

  • Farmers not exposed to harmful substances

  • Less water than conventional cotton

  • Certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) guarantee the authenticity of organic farming

  • Biodegradable

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  ORGANIC SILK

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  • Protein fibre spun by silkworms

  • Renewable resource

  • No use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers

  • Silkworms live their full lives and die naturally

  • Biodegradable

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  PIÑATEX 

 

  • Fibre from pineapple leaves

  • Made of wastes

  • Substitute for leather

  • Low water and energy need

  • Partially biodegradable
     

  QMONOS 

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  • Synthetic spider silk

  • Extremely durable

  • Cruelty-free

  • Biodegradable

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  RAMIE 

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  • Natural fibre

  • Low water and energy need

  • It grows healthily without the use of toxic pesticides or herbicides

  • Very strong and durable fibre

  • Biodegradable​

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  RECYCLED COTTON

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  • It prevents additional textile waste

  • It requires far fewer resources than conventional or organic cotton

  • Biodegradable

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  RECYCLED WOOL

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  • Wool garments diverted from landfills

  • Reduction of air, water and soil pollution

  • Great savings of water

  • No use of chemicals for dyeing

  • Certifications to ensure wool is actually recycled

  • Biodegradable

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  REFIBRA

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  • Fibre produced with cotton scraps and wood

  • Based on tencel production process, which is environmentally responsible, but in addition uses leftovers from textile industry

  • Biodegradable

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  SUSTAINABLE BAMBOO 

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  • Bamboo grows quickly and easily without requiring fertilizers, pesticides or replanting

  • Low water and energy need

  • It improves the soil quality

  • Plantations reduce greenhouse gases

  • No chemical additives

  • Biodegradable

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  SUSTAINABLE CASHMERE

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  • Cruelty-free

  • Goats recycle unusable biomass, breaking it down into organic soil amendments which improve the quality of the soil

  • Fair-trade

  • Biodegradable

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  SUSTAINABLE MOHAIR

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  • Natural, renewable fibre

  • Cruelty-free

  • Fair-trade

  • Biodegradable

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  SUSTAINABLE WOOL

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  • Natural, renewable fibre

  • Cruelty-free

  • RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) ensures land protection and animal welfare

  • No pesticides or parasiticides used on pastureland or sheep

  • Use of good management practices of livestock

  • Biodegradable

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  SUSTAINABLE LEATHER

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  • Byproduct from food industry that doesn't require additional land and resources (skin for leather comes from animals raised for their meat)

  • Chrome-free tanning

  • Recycling and purification of wastewater

  • The Leather Working Group promotes sustainable environmental practices

  • Biodegradable

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(LESS) ECO-FRIENDLY FABRICS

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  ACETATE

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  • Made from wood fibres

  • Natural and renewable

  • Harsh chemical processing

  • High amount of water required

  • Depending on the facilities, workers may suffer long-term health effects and waste may be dumped without purification; regulated facilities guarantee care to workers and environment

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  BAMBOO

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  • Easy to grow without pesticides and quick to replenish itself

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Mostly grown in China, there isn't much information on how intensively bamboo is being harvested

  • New emerging methods don't use chemicals

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  MODAL

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  • Plant-based fibre from beech trees

  • Good perspiration properties allow fewer washings, saving water and energy

  • It can be dyed with harsh chemicals, which pollute waterways

  • Lenzing Modal uses sustainably harvested beech trees and is bleached with environmentally friendly method

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  RAYON​

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  • Plant-based fibre

  • Derived from cellulose or wood pulp of regenerative, fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus, beech and pine

  • Polluting process

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Concerns over devastation of forests and habitats

  • Some rayon manufacturers are committed to more sustainable practices and environmental safeguard

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  RECYCLED NYLON

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  • It diverts waste from landfills and garbage from oceans

  • Use of fewer resources than virgin nylon (less water, energy and fossil fuel)

  • Closed-loop

  • Econyl is a good example of certified, eco-friendly regenerated nylon

  • It can still shed microplastics when washed

  • Non-biodegradable

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  RECYCLED POLYESTER

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  • It diverts waste from landfills, using existing plastic such as old water bottles

  • Use of mechanical or chemical processes that need fewer resources than virgin polyester

  • Many recycled polyester fabrics are blended with virgin fibres

  • It can still shed microplastics when washed

  • Non-biodegradable

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  SILK

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  • Renewable resource

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Conventional silk production kills the silkworm

  • Biodegradable

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  VISCOSE

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  • Plant-based fibre

  • Derived from cellulose or wood pulp of regenerative, fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus, beech and pine

  • Polluting process

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Concerns over devastation of forests and habitats

  • New emerging alternatives, like EcoVero or sustainably-sourced viscose

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FABRICS TO AVOID

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  ACRYLIC

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  • Petroleum-derived synthetic fibre

  • High energy need

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Non-biodegradable

  • Not easy to recycle

  • Release of microplastics when washed

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  CASHMERE

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  • Rise of cheap cashmere production

  • Often blended with other non-sustainable fabrics

  • Overworked and underpaid farmers

  • Soil erosion (goats pull the grass by the roots when they eat instead of cutting it)

  • Treatments with chemicals and carcinogenic dyes

  • Opt for sustainable cashmere

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  COTTON

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  • Highest use of pesticides than any other crop, affecting environment and farmers

  • High demand of water

  • Low-yield crop

  • GMO seeds

  • Soil erosion

  • Non existent labor, health and safety regulations

  • Child and forced labor​

  • Opt for organic cotton

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  FUR

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  • Animal cruelty

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Also faux fur is not good for the environment (made out of plastic)

  • Opt for vintage

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  LEATHER

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  • Use of toxic chemicals (mostly chromium)

  • Pollution of rivers and oceans

  • Health risks for workers

  • Also conventional vegan leather is not good for the environment (made out of plastic)

  • Opt for vintage or sustainable leather

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  NYLON

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  • Petroleum-derived synthetic fibre

  • High energy need

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Non-biodegradable

  • Release of nitrous oxide when manifactured

  • Release of microplastics when washed​

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  POLYESTER

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  • Petroleum-derived synthetic fibre

  • High energy need

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Non-biodegradable

  • Release of microplastics when washed

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  SPANDEX / ELASTANE

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  • Petroleum-derived synthetic fibre

  • High energy need

  • Use of toxic chemicals

  • Non-biodegradable

  • Release of microplastics when washed

 

  WOOL

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  • Extensive sheep farming

  • Soil erosion and desertification due to overgrazing

  • Sheep release methane, a gas 25 times worse for global warming than CO2

  • Use of harmful chemicals

  • Animal cruelty

  • Opt for sustainable wool

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