Fabrics & Textiles

Fabrics and Textiles: Why Non-Synthetic Clothing Makes a Lot of Sense

Many common plastics, such as acrylic and nylon, have a fabric form that may be used for some form of clothing, and there may be toxins built into some plastic fabrics:  hormone-disrupting phthalates in polyvinyl chloride, potentially skin-irritating isocyanates in polyurethanes like Spandex and Lycra, possibly cancer-causing antimony in polyester, and probable carcinogens thioureas in neoprene.

In 2013, Greenpeace did comprehensive testing of textile products sold in countries around the world—including children’s clothing and shoes—and detected a variety of hazardous chemicals in them, notably numerous endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. These chemicals are found in the finished products either because they are included as an actual ingredient of the product or as a residue from a particular process used in making the item. The fact is, they are there, but we don’t necessarily know if they are coming out of the clothing and directly affecting our health. 

So there is the issue of these toxic chemicals possibly leaching out and affecting our health whether we realize it or not, and potentially contributing to a condition that develops over a long period of time, such as cancer. This sort of slow, ongoing exposure makes it very difficult to trace it back to a particular source when the health condition finally manifests with physical symptoms. This is one reason why we choose a preventative approach and try to avoid synthetic clothing.

Here’s another... The ocean microplastic pollution problem is directly impacted by plastic textiles and fabrics. As these textiles are used and washed, tiny pieces of synthetic microplastic debris are released into the air or the wash water. We may breathe them or they may settle in house dust or outside in the environment, but also they go down the drain with the wash water and eventually end up in rivers and oceans because they are too small to be caught by municipal wastewater systems. 

Here are a few fabric and textile alternatives to plastics:

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton makes us smile; it’s soft, breathable, and durable for everything from clothing to diapers to bedsheets to lunchbags to towels. Why organic? Because conventional cotton crops are generally drenched in pesticides and chemical fertilizers or may be genetically modified so the cotton plant produces pesticides specific to certain insects. Organic cotton production promotes biodiversity, natural fertilization, and non-chemical insect control methods.

Khadi

Khadi is a soft cloth that is hand spun and hand woven in India. The word 'khadi' literally means cotton according to its Sanskrit and Persian roots, but khadi may be made of cotton, silk or wool. The raw fibre is spun into thread using a traditional spinning wheel called a charka.

And there is much more to khadi than meets the eye: it represents freedom, and played a direct role in India gaining its independence from British rule. Mahatma Gandhi called on Indian citizens to make their own khadi using charkas—this boosted rural self-employment and decreased reliance on imported, industrially-made British textiles. Khadi became a potent symbol of the Gandhi’s multi-pronged independence movement that preached self-sufficiency and self-governance through non-violent resistance. 

Wool (Alpaca, Angora, Cashmere, Merino, Mohair)

Wool has magnificent properties that include being water-resistant, naturally anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. 

It's a fabulous insulator, even when wet (it’s naturally absorbent), and breathes well, making it comfortable in warm and cold temperatures. Compare wearing wet wool socks in winter with wet cotton ones. And there is no need for added chemicals to give it special properties; it’s naturally durable, mold and mildew resistant, wrinkle resistant, non-allergenic and has built-in flame retardant properties.

The best is organic or local or at least ethically sourced—because of high pesticide use (applied to sheep to kill parasites such as lice) and possible cruelty to sheep in harvesting conventional wool (if you are vegan and prefer to avoid new wool completely, used clothing is best).

Bamboo

Bamboo is a fast growing plant that is part of the grass family. Certain species of bamboo can grow up to 3 ft in 24 hours making it a very sustainable product. Bamboo can be an excellent alternative to plastic textiles.  

The texture, softness and breathability of bamboo fiber is similar to that of cotton and hemp, but you have to be careful here because not all bamboo clothing is created alike. Similar to hemp, the beauty of bamboo is that it can be grown quickly without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. But a lot of bamboo clothing falls more into the fiber category of rayon, which, as described below, is a semi-synthetic polymer made from practically any plant cellulose using harsh toxic chemicals to break down the cellulose pulp and make it into a fabric. 

You’ll want to be sure the clothing has a Lyocell or Tencel label, which indicates it was made using a much less chemical-intensive, closed-loop process in which the chemical solvents used are recovered. If it doesn't have such a label it may be drenched in toxic chemicals (see Rayon below for details). In 2010, the Canadian Competition Bureau ordered manufacturers to remove from the labeling of textiles made from bamboo cellulose the “eco-friendly” claim which was determined to be misleading to consumers.

Hemp

Hemp is a strong natural fiber that is grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be incorporated into all kinds of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in food and body care. Its fibers and stalks are used in clothing, construction materials, and even paper. It is one of the oldest domesticated crops in history, dating back to about 8,000 BC. Hemp is a very sustainable raw material that requires much less water to grow—and no pesticides—compared to other traditional crops.

Rayon

Rayon is a generic term for a semi-synthetic polymer made of cellulose that can be derived from practically any plant or tree source. The problem is, harsh chemical solvents are required to break down these cellulose pulp fibers into a usable material for clothing.

Viscose rayon, a common form, is generally made from wood pulp treated with highly toxic carbon disulphide to create the fabric. There are, however, much less toxic rayons out there: Lyocell (branded as Tencel) is made in a closed loop production method that uses way less chemicals and can be applied to any form of cellulose.

Silk

Smooth sleek silk is a lustrous luxurious alternative to plastic textiles. It has a long and illustrious history through the ages, especially in Asia where it is still a staple in the making of Indian saris and Japanese kimonos. 

Silk fibers have a triangular, prism-like form, which causes silk fabric to refract light at varied angles and emit colors across the spectrum. Like wool, it has powerful properties that make it comfortable to wear when active and in both warm and cold weather: it absorbs moisture well and has low conductivity, which keeps warm air near the skin. The naturally tight weave prevents mosquitoes and flies from biting through it.

While most commonly employed as a material for clothing, a use dating back to the royal courts of ancient China, you may also find silk in fine ornate upholstery (think Versailles), rugs, sheets, parachutes, surgical sutures, and tooth floss. Some other fabrics you may have heard of that are often made of or refer to silk include charmeuse, chiffon, dupioni, kosa, noil, shantung, taffeta, and tussar. 

Silk is usually derived from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori), which produces these long thin threads of fiber to construct the cocoon. Traditional silk is made from the cocoons of silkworms, which are boiled before hatching to extract the long strands of silk that make up the cocoon. It’s estimated that 3000 silkworms are required to make a pound of silk.

There is an increasingly popular alternative form of silk, known as “peace silk” that is made in India from the cocoons of moths and does not require killing them. The cocoons are collected once the moth has emerged and flown away. 

Leather

Leather is tough, timeless and trendy. If you are looking to buy a new leather product, then make it a high quality, ethically-sourced one that you can see yourself using for the rest of our life.

Or, go used—there is no shortage of amazing leather products in second hand thrift and vintage stores. Be careful of pleather or faux leather (aka naugahyde)! It may well be toxic PVC; but there are less toxic faux leathers out there for vegans—just be sure to ask what it is made of and to assess its toxicity.

Leather can come with some heavy issues attached to it. The leather industry, most of which is situated in developing countries, is notoriously polluting and chemical intensive (especially the toxic tanning processes which can be dangerous to workers) and involves using the skin of animals, mostly cows. While the use of the skins can be considered a byproduct of the beef industry (the skins would otherwise go to waste), a growing demand for leather products indicates that more cows need to be slaughtered to meet the demand. All the more reason to go with ethically-sourced or used.

A Note on Vegan Options: 

Our purpose is to focus on the issue of plastic toxicity and pollution and offer up safer, less-polluting alternatives, but we do not condone or support cruelty to animals, and we realize that some of you may be seeking strictly vegan clothing alternatives that have no direct impact on animals or any living beings. If that is the case, buying used clothing is an excellent option.

You also may wish to take a look at the list of vegan clothing companies compiled by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which suggests vegan alternatives to materials like wool, silk, and leather. Just be aware that many of the alternatives are made with plastics (though possibly upcycled for creative reuse, and thus diverted from ending up in a landfill) so you need to do your due diligence to assess the toxicity of vegan alternatives.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES: While we strive to provide as accurate and balanced information as possible on our website, Life Without Plastic cannot guarantee its accuracy or completness because there is always more research to do, and more up-to-date research studies emerging -- and this is especially the case regarding research on the health and environmental effects of plastics. As indicated in our Terms & Conditions, none of the information presented on this website is intended to be professional advice or to constitute a professional service to the individual reader. All matters regarding health require medical supervision, and the information presented on this website is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician.