What materials should make their way into our closets?

Have you considered which fabrics your clothes are made of when making a purchase? The carbon footprint produced by the creation of our clothes is largely dependent on the fabrics used during the process. While there isn't a fabric that is 100% no impact, it's important to know that some fabrics are definitely better more the environment than others. Here's a guide that may help you decide which fabrics to purchase next, the next best option if they're inaccessible, and lastly, what to avoid buying.

Good to buy:

1. Linen

Linen is a light fabric often worn by people in summer. Manufactured from a type of flax plant, which is an incredibly productive crop, little amounts of water and pesticide are required for this process, making it a climate-friendly fabric.

2. Hemp

Hemp is a great fabric option as it has a manufacturing process that requires no chemicals and it is naturally insulating and cooling. It yields similar benefits to linen, except its 8 times stronger. How good!

3. Organic Cotton

While cotton that isn't certified organic (we'll get to that in a bit) can be destructive to the environment, organic cotton is grown consciously without the use of pesticides, fertilisers, or GMOs, and it also uses a considerably lesser amount of water than non-organic cotton. Look for an 'organic cotton' label on the inside of clothing to make sure it's organic cotton.

4. Recycled fabrics

Recycled fabrics, such as recycled cotton, that is produced from previously used fibres is great for reducing textile waste. It also requires fewer resources during production than say, organic or conventional cotton. With materials being reused, this prevents them from going to landfill.

5. Deadstock fabrics

Deadstock fabrics are the leftover fabrics of manufacturers that have ordered too many or fabric produced out of textile mills. Rather than letting these fabrics go to waste, brands can use these fabrics to make new, unique products without having to produce new fabric, reducing their environmental impact. Look for deadstock from natural materials (like the ones above) over materials like polyester to ensure they don't release microplastics when washed.

When the 'good to buy' options aren't available:

1. Conventional cotton

Conventional cotton means cotton that is not necessarily grown by following a cotton sustainability standard or the Organic Farm Standards. While it is a natural material, conventional cotton is more harmful than organic cotton because it's generally grown with the use of synthetic chemicals and uses a lot more water during the process

2. Rayon

A semi-synthetic fabric made from cellulose, sometimes called viscose, modal, lyocell, or tencel. Despite being derived from natural resource — wood — and thus marketed as a climate-friendly fabric, it has caused issues like water pollution and air pollution during its production process.

3. Bamboo

While bamboo fabric has also recently been touted as fabric good for the planet, there are a few drawbacks. Growing bamboo requires no chemicals, and the plant is pretty self-sustained and maintained — making it a step up from conventional cotton and polyester — however, the process of turning bamboo into fabric also involves treating bamboo with harsh chemicals.

4. Sheep wool

The good news? Wool is usually biodegradable, and decomposes readily. The bad news? Producing wool releases large amounts of emissions. The wool required to make one knit sweater releases 27 times more greenhouse gases than a comparable Australian cotton sweater, while requiring 247 times more land.

Best to avoid:

1. Polyester

Polyestyer is a synthetic fibre made from various petroleum-based chemicals. Other than being non-biodegradable and contributing to microplastic pollution in the oceans, it also requires a lot of energy and creates a large carbon footprint during its production process. A polyester t-shirt can create 5.5kg of carbon dioxide.

2. Nylon

Made froma type of plastic derived from crude oil and non-biodegradable, nylon is harmful to our environment, despite being the second most used synthetic fibre. Similar to other "best to avoid" materials, it requires a lot of water and energy for production. It also releases nitrous oxide in its manufacturing process.

3. Spandex

Spandex fabric is generally not very good for the environment because manufacturing the fabric includes using many toxic chemicals during the process, which causes air and water pollution. When washed, the material also releases microplastics.

4. Acrylic

Acrylic takes over 200 years to decompose in a landfill and is also virtually impossible to recycle. Producing acrylic is also an energy and water intensive process.

Finding no impact materials can be quite hard and expensive so don't be too hard on yourself. Fast fashion has a strong grip on the fashion industry and sometimes it feels like we are flooded with only bad options. If we really need to buy something then hopefully this list can help us make a bit more of an informed choice but remember that the best practice is to love and care for the clothes we already own so they last as long as possible. Even if they aren't made from the most ideal materials, every time we don't buying a piece of clothing and choose to wear something we already have we are letting go of the overconsumption mentality.

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