02/08/2023
What makes a fabric sustainable? How do you know if fabric is sustainable really?
Well, first let’s touch on what makes an unsustainable clothing fabric.
Conventional fabrics used in fashion and home goods—i.e. cotton, viscose fabric, leather, among many others—have historically been developed with profit (not planet) in mind, entailing:
Environmentally devastating sourcing of raw materials (unsustainable farming, deforestation, and petroleum drilling)
Chemically-intensively material processing (plasticizing, bleaching, softening, and dyeing)
Poor end-of-life prospects (ways a garment can be disposed of) leading to tremendous amounts of textile waste—to the tune of almost 15 million tons per year in the US alone.
With that in mind, the Sustainable Jungle sustainable fabrics definition is this:
Textiles that significantly minimizes the impact of its conventional alternatives, whether through organic and chemical-free farming, use of recycled materials, circular manufacturing processes, and sustainable prospects for end-of-life disposal.
On the positive side, environmentally friendly fabrics are becoming easier and easier to find. Here’s our list of some of the most sustainable fabrics for clothing brands are using to stake their claim for a better fashion future.
The Full List Of Sustainable Fabrics
Natural Sustainable Clothing Fabrics (Vegan)
Organic Cotton
Recycled Cotton
H**p
Linen
Bamboo Linen
Cork
Recycled Synthetic Sustainable Clothing Fabrics (Vegan)
ECONYL®
Recycled polyester
Deadstock
Sustainable Semi-Synthetic Clothing Fabrics (Mostly Vegan)
Lyocell
Modal
Bamboo Lyocell
ECOVERO™
Piñatex
Bananatex®
SCOBY Leather
S.Cafe®
Brewed Protein
Apple Leather
Woocoa
Cupro
QMilk
Potentially-Sustainable Natural Animal Fabrics (Non-Vegan)
Sheep Wool
Merino Wool
Alpaca Wool
Cashmere
Camel
Yak Wool
Vegetable Tanned Leather
Down
Silk