Alternative Textiles: Organic and Non-Synthetic Fabrics

Alternative Textiles: Organic and Non-Synthetic Fabrics

Fabrics used in the current eco-fashion trend are produced from sustainable resources such as organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp. These clothes are grown without the use of toxic chemical pesticides, fertilizers or genetic engineering, which means that thousands of pounds of chemicals are saved from contaminating the earth. These fabrics not only reduce pollution and our carbon footprint, but are all non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable!
We will focus on these eco-friendly textiles as a healthy alternative for both the consumer and the environment, as well as an innovative new textile (that provides the best alternative!) made from recycled fabric clippings from factories and recyclable PETE plastic water bottles that reduces waste from landfills while creating a new garment.

Eco-Fabrics Compared to Conventional Fabrics
Environmentally, conventional cotton farming takes a huge toll on our planet.
Problems with conventional cotton:
o With the use of harvesting machines to harvest cotton, the seeds and oil are mixed with the cotton and harsh chemical cleaners are used to remove the oil and seeds to clean the cotton.
o Extensive usage of herbicide and pesticides are utilized to grow cotton.
Here are some startling facts:
Conventional cotton is responsible for 25% of the insecticides used worldwide.
Some of the most toxic pesticides are used on cotton, and these enter our food chain through foods containing cottonseed oil.
To make one t-shirt, 1/3 of a pound of pesticides and other chemicals are used.
We all wear t-shirts, now imagine the effect of this on our bodies!
Choosing organic cotton helps to support organic farmers and gives motivation to conventional farmers who are trying to convert to organic practices.
What corporations want you to think is that trendy clothes are affordable and make you look stylish, and to not think about the social and environmental impacts these disposable fashions have!
Spreading the word to friends and family also helps to raise global awareness about the benefits of choosing organic cotton. Alternative fabrics aren’t that burlap sac the media portrays! Seek out the truth! Get informed! Let’s make fashion more green!
Now let’s help contribute to a healthier planet by voting with our dollar and supporting alternative fabrics!

Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is not only better quality cotton but also healthier and more sustainable than conventional cotton.
Organic cotton has the ability to be worn by people with chemical sensitivities, who are unable to wear conventional cotton because they have allergic reactions to the dyes and chemical traces it contains.
100% organic cotton, like convention cotton absorbs moisture and stays dry - it breathes (as opposed to nylon or other synthetic fibers which can cause perspiration).

Organic Cotton Production and the Environment
Organic cotton growers hand pick the cotton so it is much cleaner.
Mild natural cleansing products are used to wash the cotton.
When dying the product, only low impact environmental dyes or natural colorants such as clay are used.
The other benefit of hand picking and no chemical use is that the cotton fiber is much stronger; the fiber is not weakened by the chemical cleansers or dyes.

Bamboo
Bamboo fabrics, which look and feel like cashmere, are naturally biodegradable and sustainable.
Bamboo is grown without pesticides or fertilizers, absorbs more greenhouse gases, releases more oxygen and has a higher rate of growth than cotton crops.
The fiber looks the same as cotton in its un-spun form as a puffball of light, airy fibers.
It has a luxurious feel and excellent wicking properties, which is ideal for warm summer days.
Bamboo fabric is also known to absorb more sweat then cotton fabrics and allows the skins to breathe.
Bamboo is a great sustainable alternative to convention cotton as bamboo is a very quick growing grass and does not usually require the use of pesticides and herbicides to thrive. As a result, plantations can easily be kept organic and replenished yearly.

Bamboo Production and the Environment
Bamboo production leaves virtually no damage to the soil in which it is farmed, and it is one of the most sustainable renewable resources available.
Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass.
The fiber is made by pulping the bamboo grass until it separates into thin threads of fiber, which can be spun and dyed for weaving into cloth.
The process of making unbleached bamboo fiber is very light on chemicals that could potentially harm the environment.

Hemp
Hemp has been harvested for thousands of years and has been used for everything from paper to fuels.
Don’t think that hemp is a rough, ugly fabric! It’s actually a soft canvas or when blended with organic cotton, can be as smooth as silk!
Hemp crops are resistant to insects and disease so pesticides or insecticides are not used making hemp a non-toxic fiber.
Hemp is also biodegradable and can be harvested twice a year which makes it very renewable and needs minimal processing to make fabric. By comparison, a tree once cut needs 15-20 years to come back.
Hemp helps clean the soil, it drops leaves constantly during the growing season replenishing the soil of nutrients as opposed to cotton, which depletes the earth of its natural chemical and mineral balance.
Hemp is the strongest natural fiber used in clothing and is very durable. It lasts four times longer than cotton clothing.
Hemp has an important insulting feature as well as being a breathable fabric: it helps you stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter as it adapts to your body temperature.

Hemp Fabric Production and the Environment
Hemp fabric is a natural textile made from the bast fibers found in the stem of the hemp plant.
The long fibers are taken and spun or woven into fabric.
Most of our hemp clothing is blended with cotton to give it a soft, comfortable feel.
Hemp fiber resembles linen, as the production process is similar.

Recycled Fabric
Now what happens when all these clothes are thrown away?
Don’t fret! A new fabric can be created from discarded factory clippings or from reclaimed materials!
Fabric can be made from cotton fabric scraps from factories that are sorted by colour then mulched into a new cotton fiber, then PETE plastic bottles are used to create a poly yarn and the two are fused together making a totally new recycled fabric!
This recycled fabric is just as soft and durable as regular organic cotton or bamboo fabrics, except instead of extracting new resources to make the garment, you are re-using an old one and giving it a new life!