In the fashion industry, sustainability is not a trend. It’s a brand new way of producing clothing. The growing environmental awareness in recent years has forced many brands to rethink their production process and implement environmentally friendly fabrics into their collections.

With so many options out there, it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you and your products and consumers, however.

In this quick guide we’ll list 8 of the standout eco-friendly fabrics as well as their pros and cons so that you and your brand can have a better understanding of which materials will suit your products.

Related Reading: Knowing which fabrics are environmentally friendly is half the battle. Read part two: How to Source Sustainable Fabrics For Your Clothing Line here.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is the most popular environmentally friendly fabric - so it’s easy to source and it’s currently produced in 35 different countries.

On the plus sides, organic cotton is produced without pesticides, and with 85% less water consumption than its conventional counterpart. That reduces the carbon emissions amassed in the farming process by 46%. Plus, organic cotton has a smoother finish to it because the fibre is of better quality due to being hand picked.

Organic cotton only has two downsides: The first is that separating the fibres from the seeds is a slightly more energy intensive process, which isn’t overly beneficial to creating a conscious farming environment.

The second is that the cost of organic cotton fabric is higher than conventional cotton because the yield is substantially lower, which increases the cost of production. That’s something to keep in mind when it comes to manufacturing and costing your products depending on your bottom line and the budget of your consumers.

Recycled Cotton

Recycled cotton is emerging as a byproduct of organic cotton, and it’s solving a lot of problems. Whilst organic cotton is a fantastic sustainable material, its energy intensive process and water usage are still viewed as problematic in large quantities.

With recycled cotton however, cotton materials are broken down and then spun back into yarn through a mechanical process before being made into new garments. This drastically reduces the amount of energy and water needed in the manufacturing process. Plus, because a significant portion of the material has already been dyed it also provides colors without the need for additional resources.

So far the only significant downside of using recycled cotton is that the recycling process can weaken the fibers, which can lead to clothes having less durability.

It can also be difficult to ascertain whether the recycled cotton is pure cotton - either organic or natural - because previous garments could be recycled into recyclable cotton even if they are of a synthetic blend, provided the blend is less than 4%.

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Organic Hemp

Organic hemp is considered to be one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics on the planet.

Some of hemp’s attributes include its high-yield, a manner of growth that provides nutrients to the soil it is in, and the fact that it requires significantly less water than cotton.

The other major plus for hemp is that it is a raw material which is carbon negative - meaning it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere which greatly reduces carbon emissions.

However its plethora of benefits do come with downsides to be aware of. Hemp is more expensive than other sustainable fabrics because there’s so much to love about it, which could again cause problems with costings and budget.

Sustainable Leather

Sustainable leather, otherwise known as vegan leather, is proving to be a great alternative that is both kind to the environment as well as being kinder to animals - a key aspect of any long term sustainability plan.

Vegan leather is not made of animal hide, and is instead made from plants or grown organically in labs at little to no cost to the environment. Vegan leather also uses vegetable tanning as opposed to hazardous chemical tannery, which is better for the environment and for working conditions.

Because the use of sustainable leather is still in its infancy, there are aspects of the material brands must be aware of. Even at its highest standard, vegan leather is still made of substantially lower quality when compared to its animal counterpart. This could matter in the production of garments like winter shoes because it may not be as warm, and may be more vulnerable to wear and tear.

In addition, some vegan leathers (such as synthetic leather, PU and PVC) can’t biodegrade because they are essentially made from microfibres which are particles of plastic that get smaller and smaller, as opposed to breaking down completely.

Examples of vegan leather, courtesy of Vegan Shoes.

Linen

Linen is a biodegradable fabric made from the flax plant. It's a highly breathable fabric that's able to absorb 20 times more water without being damp, and to top it off, linen is a resilient crop which requires far less water to grow.

Linen is the ideal sustainable fabric for summer collections, but before you rush to buy some you need to be clued up on two pitfalls: Firstly, the production involved in the fabric is a mechanical process that must be done correctly else the fibre can break easily. Due to this intricate production process, costs can be exceedingly high.

And secondly, only an estimated 1% of linen is used in global production, which means sourcing it can be more difficult. Make sure the linen you’re buying is both legitimate and sourced correctly before rushing in.

Interested in learning more about how to become a sustainable fashion brand? Follow our get-started guide.

Recycled Polyester

Recycled polyester is made from plastics such as bags, bottles and other textiles. It’s a great way of saving single-use plastics from clogging up landfill and ending up damaging our oceans and environments.

As it’s incredibly versatile, recycled polyester can be used to make almost everything from light, thin and stretchy activewear to even warm and thick winter wear such as jackets and fleeces.

Though recycled polyester is a thousand times better than original polyester, there are still concerns over the microplastics found in recycled polyester. If the products are washed without using a microplastic filter, tiny microplastics can still end up in our oceans which taints their sustainability.

Polyester can also only be recycled a number of times before its quality deteriorates so much that it will need to be discarded, too which does cause issues around its longevity. Having said this, if you do need to use polyester in your products: recycled polyester is the one to go for.

Sustainable Wool

Whilst wool as an overall material is sustainable because it’s a natural renewable resource produced each year by sheep, there are new methods of production that are enabling a new type of environmentally conscious form of wool to be manufactured.

Sustainable wool is produced in a much more energy efficient manner and often uses animal alternatives that prevent the overall production process having a detrimental effect on sheep welfare.

The only issue with this in the current climate is that alternatives include the use of hemp fabric. When used in the manufacturing of sustainable wool, hemp can become vulnerable to crinkling and creasing which could result in weak points in the garment and lead to holes.

Thanks to a refined production process, it’s also a very costly alternative which is something to keep in mind for brands and their bottom lines.

In summary

Fashion brands should be aware of the pros and cons before developing sustainable clothing lines. But, it is a good idea to find ways to make eco-friendly fabrics cost effective for consumers. At James Hillman, we can help you source the right materials for your clothing lines as part of our Fashion Production services. Get in touch with us today and let’s get the ball rolling.