Step 1

raw materials

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The range of materials used in fashion is extremely wide, and classified in a range of ways. Because we will be following the chronological steps in the supply chain, we are splitting this first section into two categories based on where it all begins:

+ Natural materials that come from fields or forests
+ Synthetic materials that come from petrol extraction facilities

What & How

Man-made cellulose or cellulosic fibres are fibres structured from cellulose, a starch-like carbohydrate that is found in plants and serves as a structural component of plant cell walls. They are created by dissolving natural materials such as cellulose or wood pulp, which are then processed by extrusion and precipitation.

They are created by chemically dissolving cellulose in specific solvents and then regenerating it by precipitating in an aqueous medium, think a honey-like substance. Man-made or regenerated cellulosic fibres include rayon, lyocell, modal, viscose, cupro, acetate and Tencel. These can vary widely in their physical and chemical properties, and environmental impact, based on the processing method used, the quantities of chemicals, and the water requirement of the specific process.

→ Rayon was the first man-made fibre used in the textile industry and in the early days of its development had the name “artificial silk.” Its processing caused major environmental issues, and had destructive effects on factory employees’ health.

→ Tencel fibre is the latest development and is a soft and absorbent fibre that is known for its environmental sustainability, due to its closed-loop process, and resistance to wrinkles.

→ Viscose is the most important man made cellulosic, having a market share of roughly 80% of all MMCFs and a production volume of around 5.8 million tonnes in 2021.

The farming method used to grow the plant that the cellulose is extracted from is extremely important, and in the case of cellulose coming from wood pulp or bamboo, there is a range of responsible forest management solutions to ensure that no deforestation takes place, which comes with major environmental and social consequences. Due to concerns over deforestation, illegal logging, and irresponsible plantation management, any company using man-made cellulosics should make supply chain transparency a priority. Sustainable forest standards include the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), while the CanopyStyle Audit also offers third-party audits to assess producers’ risk of sourcing from endangered forests.

Next-gen cellulosic fibres are focusing on the extraction of cellulose from various types of agricultural waste, and pre- and post-consumer textiles, which makes them extremely sustainable, examples include Orange Fibre, Infinna and Circulose.

Best Practices

+ REFIBRA™ is a revolutionary fibre made from cellulose rich waste (aka post consumer textiles) and Lenzing's renowned Tencel fibre. It combines the best of two worlds to create one of the most ecological wood-based fabrics on the planet. In short, REFIBRA is the product of recycling cotton waste fabrics into virgin textile.

+Recycled Cellulosic fibres They are able to turn used cotton and viscose into new biodegradable pulp, from which new fibres are extruded, and can continue to be recycled over and over, creating a truly circular economy. A range of examples are successfully scaling chemically recycled cotton, a wildly exciting development for circulating textile waste! Circulose by Re:Newcell, it is made by taking cotton waste and purifying it with a water-based chemical process to removes dyes and other contaminants. Evernu’s Nucycl®, is a fibre regenerated from cotton textile waste, that provides a real alternative to high impact raw materials like cotton and polyester. Infinited Fibre’s Infinna is made from cellulose-rich waste like discarded textiles, used cardboard or even rice straw, and it works on its own, and also blends with fibres like cotton and viscose.

Note that recycled cellulosic fibres are different from certified sustainable cellulosic fibres, which take cellulose from forests that are managed in a way that allows them to grow at the same rate at which they are cut. Examples of such certifications are Canopy and FSC.

+ Tencel is a cellulosic fibre coming from tree bark. It is a “greener” fibre than cotton or many other common textile fibres as It is grown in a sustainable manner - no pesticides are required to grow the trees, and most of the time they are rain fed. Trees are grown and processed at a rate that allows them to recover, and are FSC certified. An organic solvent is used to dissolve the wood chips into a solution. The chemical used to dissolve these chips is very expensive so it is recycled after the process is complete. However, the best source for manmade cellulosics like Tencel are from waste sources like textile waste or agricultural waste.

+ Agraloop - The Agraloop™ refines natural fibres derived from agricultural crops into textile-grade fibre called Agraloop™ BioFibre™. A new Natural fibre mindfully sourced for circularity. With specialised wet processing technique, cellulose fibre from stems and leaves are purified into soft fibre bundles ready to spin into yarns The Agraloop processes left-overs from various food and medicine crops including, oilseed hemp/flax, CBD hemp, banana, and pineapple.

+ CO2 based fibres are the future. Utilising enzymes selected from across the biosphere and stabilised in an industrial reactor, Rubi Labs catalyses the synthesis of cellulose from CO2 through a cell-free system. This method not only allows for 100% conversion of CO2 to cellulose, avoiding the wasteful by-products and energy requirements of cell-based biomanufacturing but also provides improved efficiency through enhanced pathway flux.’

+ Biomimicry has been of very high interest to us, so much so, that we wrote a whole article on it here!

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The best thing about all natural fibres is that they can be farmed through Regenerative and Organic Farming Techniques, which means that they become Climate Positive fibres that restore soil health.

There are many methods for building resilient soils and we have our dedicated farmers to thank for that. Regenerative farming includes incorporating animals for grazing and natural fertilisers, building bio-diverse fields by planting trees, cover crops to conserve soil, rotating crops, intercropping, boosting soil fertility with fungal compost, and methods for no-till cotton, but it is important to remember that approaches to increasing soil health requires very context specific methods!

Supporting farmers through intermediaries like BCI or CMiA that understand the local contexts of the regions farmers are working in is the key to ensuring we are not pushing a top down approach to sustainability, but understanding generational and indigenous methods that have long prioritised a symbiotic relationship with nature.

By prioritising soil health, growing fibres can literally reverse the negative impacts of traditional fibre cultivation and help to protect biodiversity :)

Certifications for Natural Fibers

+ RCS and GRS: Recycled

+ REGEN ORGANIC (ROC): Regenerative

+ OCS and GOTS: Organic

+ CLIMATE BENEFICIAL

+ Fairtrade

Let’s dive into some of the most common (and our favourite) natural fibres used in fashion:

What & How

Hemp is a wonderful natural textile fibre extracted from the homonymous herbaceous plant of the cannabis sativa species, a plant that blooms in areas with temperate climates. Hemp is known for its ability to capture carbon from the air and can also decontaminate polluted soils.

Textile hemp has been used in dozens of different sectors since the first civilizations that appeared in Asia, the Middle East and China. Hemp was used to make paper, ropes, cloths and sacks, automotive components, and of course clothing and home textiles.

The collection of fibres extracted from the hemp plant is considered to have a very high yield compared to other natural fibres (with the same hectares of cultivated land). It does not require pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers during its cultivation: it attracts few parasites; has a very high density per square meter; and reaches heights of up to 7 meters in a few months.

It can be blended with other fibres such as cotton, silk, and a variety of other natural fibres and materials to have a durable and strong 100% organic fabric. Some brands also like to use it as 100% content, whether in knits or woven materials. We hope that one day hemp can become the substitute to polyester to give strength to apparel and textiles, and allow us to increase the amount of recycled cotton our garments can contain. To explore how hemp is cottonized to make it less coarse, click here.

What & How

Cotton is a crop that requires specific conditions such as a long frost-free period, ample heat and sunshine, and fertile sandy soil. And since it’s not a food crop, there are fewer regulations on the chemicals used during farming. But, there are many cotton projects out there that are prioritising soil health, as well as the communities and individual farmers who lead them.

It is pretty clear that the environmental sustainability of cotton production is directly linked to the amount of water and chemicals used in the farming process. But here are some numbers for you.

There is a range of data on cotton usage of pesticides: it covers 2.4-3% of the world’s cultivated land, and it accounts for 4.41% of the global pesticide use on crops at 122,481 tonnes in 2020 (ICACs Cotton Data Book 2022). Regardless of the exact value, we can agree that the use of chemicals is high.

Cotton has become very industrialised and is known to be grown in monocultures (an area where only a single type of crop is produced) with heavy pesticide use. However, according to IDH around 99% of the world’s cotton farmers across 70 countries are smallholder farmers, who produce 75% of the 25 million metric tons (Transformers Foundation 2023 Cotton Report) of global cotton production annually. Smallholders are farmers, mostly living in developing countries, that do not own large areas of land (often less than 2 hectares), rely on crop production for their livelihoods, and are very dependent on yields.

However, it's important to note that with proper management, cotton production does not have to be detrimental to the environment or the communities that grow it! There are many beautiful stories of farmers who choose to grow cotton in ways that respect the environment and provide a livelihood for their families. Learn more about these stories from the ground on Cotton Diaries.

Apparel made of cotton has been the fibre of choice for hundreds of years due to its versatility, breathability, and durability. But, things changed in 1958 with the invention of Spandex, a stretchy version of polyester, allowing garments to expand and retract back to their original shape. The issue with all materials similar to spandex (lycra and elastane to name two) is that they are made of a synthetic polymer called polyurethane. Like all plastic-based materials, it is not renewable, as it comes from fossil fuels, and has a high environmental impact in terms of raw material extraction and chemicals used in processing. Learn more about the extraction process in our Fossil Fashion article here.

Now most cotton items are mixed with other fibres for performance and aesthetic attributes.

With issues such as cotton's heavy pesticide use, soil degradation, and the negative impact of synthetic fibres on the environment, it can be confusing to know which fibres to choose. One solution is to opt for reclaimed materials, which are made from waste or by-products of other processes. Another option is to choose recycled fibres that are free of microplastics and fibres sourced from renewable sources or regenerative farming methods. Additionally, look for fibres that have the potential to be recycled or composted, this way you can ensure that they will not become waste after you are done using them.

Best Practices

+ Regenerative Organic Certified™ is a newer certification that ensures that farms and products meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness.

+ Good Earth Cotton is climate positive cotton, meaning growing the cotton actually removes carbon from the air, and it is also 100% traceable with fibretrace technology. To learn more click here.

+ Organic Cotton is grown with NO PESTICIDES and non-GMO seeds. But, currently, only 1% of the world's cotton that is grown is organic cotton and with the influx of organic cotton products out there... something doesn't add up! Be sure to aim for traceable supply chains to know what’s going into your products. For an in-depth look at organic cotton click here.

+ Recycled Cotton is an amazing way to use the enormous amounts of textile waste as a resource! We would love to see a world where it's possible to have 100% recycled and recyclable apparel in a closed loop system. When using recycled material, you can avoid all the sourcing and processing steps required to make virgin material from scratch, so the impact is drastically reduced as you can imagine! But, of course it depends on the waste product you start with, whether you have to wash it and dye it again, and what processing steps are required. When recycled mechanically, it has a lower processing impact and requires less specific technology than chemically recycled cotton, but this reduces the length of the fibre, which is a measure for its strength. So, it is currently only possible to include a percentage of recycled cotton in a new fabric.

But! Never forget about balance :) The positive human impact farming fibres can bring should not be underestimated. More on that over at Cotton Diaries.

+ BCI Cotton stands for BETTER COTTON INITIATIVE. This program gives smaller farms guidelines on how to grow and harvest their crops in an environmentally friendly way through:

Using just the right amount of fertilizers
Using just the right amount of water for irrigation
Managing the planting such that water does not pool around the roots.
Controllling the use of pesticides.

+ FAIRTRADE cotton means that all farmers are guaranteed a living wage for what they grow and sell. Fair Trade also helps them to reduce their impact on the environment by reducing the use of chemicals and adapting to climate change patterns.

Want to focus on the social impact of cotton? There are incredible farmer cooperatives and initiatives out there!

Seed2Shirt is a vertically-integrated apparel manufacturer that works from the ground up — literally — for a transparent, diverse, and ethical supply chain created specifically to bring value back to the African diaspora communities they source from, via their Farmer Enrichment Program. This Program began with organic cotton farmers of Burkina Faso, who, in their transition to organic agriculture, were facing issues of soil nutrient depletion, less abundant yields, and less profit. Today, Seed2Shirt works with 8,400 organic cotton farmers (58% of which are women!) in 5-year partnership models, and with Black-owned production companies throughout the US — ensuring consideration of people and land throughout the *entire* process.

What & How

Linen is a natural fibre extracted from the stem of the flax plant, a plant which grows without the need for fertilisers or pesticides. Flax fibres are known as bast fibres, indicating they are taken from the stems of plants and not their flowers, but a valuable use is available for 100% of the plant. Its processing is also extremely sustainable because it’s entirely mechanical.

The finest linen must be macerated in slow-moving natural water sources, such as streams and rivers. Famous linen derives from maceration in Belgium, in the Lys river, where flax collected in France, Holland, and often also in South America, is sent. The Irish climate is also favourable for the processing of linen. Flax is grown most intensively in Russia and China, but we love the idea that the supply chain for linen could be entirely localised! There is an association dedicated to it.

Once woven, linen fibres are stronger, cooler against the skin and shinier than other textile fibres, but they wrinkle easily, often creating folds and marks on clothes. To avoid this effect, it is often mixed with other natural fibres like cotton.

The use of linen by man dates back to the year 8000 BC! Linen fabrics are therefore among the oldest in the world. Today, after 8 thousand years, many textile products are made of linen: aprons, bags, towels, napkins, bed linen, tablecloths, curtains, chair covers and clothing for men and women.

Linen gives an amazing feeling of freshness because it allows a greater flow of air on the body, being very breathable and hygroscopic. We immediately dream of fresh summer linen dresses and shirts.

What & How

Kapok is a natural textile fibre extracted from the gigantic Ceiba pentandra plant which grows in Indonesia and other tropical countries, and can reach up to 60 - 70 meters in height. It is considered a natural wonder, and the Maya have always respected the kapok as they believed that the souls of the dead, climbing this plant, would reach heaven.

Kapoks do not bloom every year, but when the tree does bloom, however, it is prolific, producing up to 4,000 fruits measuring up to 15cm. These pods open on the tree, exposing the pale kapok fibres to the wind for dispersal. The fibres, in which over 200 seeds are loosely embedded, are sometimes referred to as silk cotton and are lightweight, and lustrous. The seeds are separated from the fibre and may be processed to obtain oil for making soap, and the residue is used as fertiliser and cattle feed. Being a tree, it naturally uses a fraction of water compared to other seasonal fibres and requires no pesticides. Kapok fibre is also 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable.

Kapok has been traditionally used as stuffing for pillows, mattresses, and upholstery, as insulation material, and as a substitute for absorbent cotton in surgery. FLOCUS™ has developed a wider range of kapok products, including yarns and fabrics.

What & How

Demand for silk, a shiny, light, and beautiful material, played a key role in history, as it established the trade route through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe known as the Silk Road. For a long time, silk-making method was kept secret by the Chinese empire, to maintain power over its value, however by 550 CE two monks smuggled silkworm eggs in their walking canes, upon the orders of the Roman Emperor Justinian.

Silk is spun from the long threads which make up the inner cocoon of a silkworm. The fibres are in fact saliva, produced by the worm to insulate itself until it is time to transform. After being pulled from cocoons, raw silk threads are reeled together for commercial use. China remains the largest silk producer in the world, followed by India, Uzbekistan, Brazil, and Japan.

The sustainability of silk can vary based on how it’s processed, and by how sericulture facilities are fuelled. Silk is also an inefficient material to produce, with 187kg of mulberry leaves required to be grown as feed for silkworms in order to make just 1kg of silk. So many leaves and so much land for them to grow on means that the mulberry leaf farm practices tied to silk matter a lot to the overall material impact. Boiling water and steam are used for production, which requires vast amounts of energy, therefore the source of this energy makes a big difference in the sustainability of the final product.

Naturally, after spinning their cocoon for days, the insects would then break out the top of their cocoons after their transformation is complete, but this breaks the kilometre or so of silk filament they produce. So, in the silk industry, silkworms are either steamed or boiled alive inside their cocoons. To make just one kilogram of silk, as many as 5,500 individual silkworms are killed. Exploring the ethics of using silkworms for fashion is complex. While a growing body of evidence suggests that insects have complex cognitive capacities, research in the space is still developing.

What & How

Sheep wool is the most common animal fibre used in the fashion and textile industry. Other types of wool include mohair and angora.

Wool is natural, breathable, and resilient, and has good insulation and thermo-regulating properties, which means that it reacts to changes in body temperature to keep the wearer warmer when it is cold and cooler when it is warm. We love that it’s being introduced into sports clothing, substituting synthetics! Wool is also odour- and wrinkle-resistant, which means that woollen clothing doesn’t need to be washed as often as other fibre types do, saving water and energy (and time!).

The key issues with sourcing wool are animal welfare and environmental impact. Sheep are also subject to mulesing—the removal or destruction of wool-bearing skin. This makes sheep vulnerable to painful and sometimes fatal diseases. Being ruminants, sheep also produce the potent greenhouse gas methane as part of their digestive process.

Regenerative mulesing-free wool is the best one out there. We like to imagine happy sheep that have plenty of space, support surrounding ecosystems, and are treated ethically.

What & How

Leather comes from a sustainable, naturally renewable, raw material – tanned hides and skins of animals. Believed to be the first fabric crafted with human hands, leather has evolved significantly over the millennia. Although leather has lost some popularity in recent decades due to animal rights concerns, it remains a widely used textile product due to its durability, water resistance, insulative properties, and softness.

The difference between ‘sustainable’ and ‘unsustainable’ leather lies in how the leather is processed, and the sources of chemistry, water, and energy used.

It all starts from animal hides, coming mostly from cows, calves, sheep and lambs, however, exotic animals are still used. A major difference at this stage is whether the hide is a by-product of the meat industry, and how much it contributes to the financial value of the farmed animal, therefore supporting its farming.

After being cleaned of all flesh, the hide is stretched and subjected to a dehydrating process to avoid decomposition. Leather manufacturers then soak hides in a mixture of lime and water to loosen and remove hair and other undesired tissue and bathe them. The next process is tanning, which is where a huge variation in the chemical options exists. Tannins are natural astringent compounds that prevent the disintegration of collagen in animal hides, and turn flimsy skin into a strong product.

The word “tanning” comes from tannin (tannic acid), a type of chemical found in the roots, bark, seeds, and a variety of other parts of many different plant species. These days, however, most leather manufacturers use mineral tanning instead of vegetable tanning, which involves a specific type of chromium called chromium III sulfate.

Once the tanning process is complete, hides are thoroughly dried, and they are dyed using one of a number of different dyeing methods. Next, leather manufacturers apply oils or greases to the surface of the hides to make the resulting leather softer and more water-resistant.

Best Practices

At the farm level, rearing livestock involves land use and potential land use change, as well as enteric methane emissions. It might also impact water, animal welfare, and the territories of Indigenous people. A series of chemical and mechanical processes are involved in the transformation of raw hide to finished leather, and these also come with environmental and social risks.

Main challenges include deforestation and animal welfare, which can only be tackled through traceability, which is very difficult in the global meat and leather industry.

Leather produced using tannin instead of chromium is more environmentally friendly, and is called vegetable tanned leather. A range of natural dye products are also available. It’s possible to produce leather sustainably, starting with regenerative agriculture, however the issue of animal ethics is separate.

Certifications include:

+ Leather Working Group (LWG)

+ LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®

+ Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)

+ Institute of Quality Certification for the Leather Sector (ICEC)

+ Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB)

What & How

A next-gen leather alternative marks a significant leap in material science, blending innovation with nature to produce a product that replicates the look and feel of traditional leather without its ethical concerns. These modern materials are derived from diverse sources, such as plant-based components, recycled elements, and advanced lab-grown technologies, providing enhanced durability, adaptability, and a reduced impact on the planet.

Cork, pineapple and mycelium, are examples of plant-based leathers available today, however, one big differentiator is the presence of polyurethane (a type of plastic). This comes with all the negative aspects of plastic production, but it also means that it can crack and peel, being a lot less durable than real leather. Let’s dive into the different types of leather alternatives being created for the market:

Plastic Free

MIRUM® by Natural fibre Welding:
- MIRUM® is a new, 100% plastic-free plant-based material. At the end of its life, it can be recycled into new MIRUM® or ground up and safely returned to the earth, making it a naturally circular and climate-friendly option.
Treekind by Biophilica:
- An alternative to leather that is devoid of plastics, PU (polyurethane), and rubber, and is crafted using lignocellulosic feedstocks sourced from urban parks and gardens, as well as from agricultural byproducts that are not fit for consumption.
- It has successfully undergone the home composting ISO 14855 test, as well as various chemical analyses and all relevant ISO standards tests applicable to leather products.
- Completely free from plastic and recyclable, Treekind is estimated to use less than 1% of the water cow skin leather production does.

Cork leather
- An alternative to leather made from the bark of cork oak trees.
- It is celebrated for its durability and natural waterproof qualities

Mycelium Leather

Mycelium leather (Coming soon)
- Mycelium leather, also known as mycelium, is made from the root network of mushrooms. This is a renewable material that requires little light and water and can feed off agricultural waste.
- Mycelium leather is strong, durable, and flexible with a similar texture to traditional leather, however, it is not widely available and is not at the scale of other alternatives on the market.
- Hyphalite is the only mycelium based leather currently available for orders and production.
- Mycelium alternatives have shown a lot of promise in the labs but scaling has been extremely challenging.
An example is Really Clever, a material made from algae and mushrooms, which is plastic-free and biodegradable.

Plastic-Natural Combination

Pineapple leather
- Crafted from part pineapple leaf fibre, which is an agricultural waste product. It requires little water, as pineapples are a drought-resistant crop. Repurposing the leaves not only reduces waste, but it also provides additional income to the farmers.
- Piñatex is an example that is durable and flexible, with a similar texture to traditional leather.
Apple Leather:
- Apple leather is made from part apple waste, including the peel, core and any scraps. This repurposes waste and can be an additional income stream for farmers. Both growing and processing the apples and apple waste requires little water compared to traditional leather.
- Apple leather is a strong, durable, and renewable material, with a similar texture to traditional leather.
- Companies supplying apple leather include
  - Mabel
  - Frumat
Cactus Leather
- Cactus leather is produced by intertwining fibers from cacti with PU, resulting in a robust and long-lasting fabric. It looks similar to conventional leather but has a more organic appearance. Unlike traditional leather, which requires a large amount of water to produce, cacti thrive on minimal water, which has been a strong reason for its popularity (other than its non animal origins, of course).

PU Leathers

Microfibre Leather:
- A smooth, synthetic material which can replicate the look and feel of animal skin products.
- It’s supple, durable and versatile, making it a more sustainable alternative to leather and suede.
- PU = polyurethane = plastic

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You might have guessed it by now, but we really don’t support the fact that clothing is made of plastics. From issues with its extraction, its release of microplastics during use, and its incompatibility with a circular economy, so many aspects of it are just wrong.

Most of the clothing we make today is made of petroleum (aka oil), a non-renewable resource. The petrochemicals industry has complicated social and political implications that are relevant to all industries that use petroleum-derived products.

According to the Changing Markets Foundation, today over two-thirds (69%) of textiles are made from plastic, and this is expected to grow to 73% by 2030. This is because oil-based fabrics such as polyester are cheap, smooth, strong and durable, but also because there are specific financial interests that have brought us here, which we will dig into later.

Polyester, a synthetic fibre derived from petroleum, is the most widely used fibre in the clothing industry today with estimates reaching up to two thirds of all fashion. Its emergence as a fashion staple can be attributed to its durability, resistance to shrinking and stretching, and its quick-drying capabilities. Developed in the early 20th century, polyester's popularity soared in the 1970s when the textile industry began to favor it for its ability to mimic natural fibres at a lower cost and for its performance characteristics.

The process of making polyester involves the polymerization of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid, producing a fibre that is essentially plastic. This material can then be spun into threads and yarns, used to weave or knit into fabrics. If you want to get into the details, we’ve outlined the exact extraction process here.

Efforts to improve the sustainability of polyester focus on recycling existing polyester materials and developing bio-based alternatives. However, we warn against recycled polyester as it still fuels our desire for plastic based materials and does not solve the microplastics issue, which are discussed in detail here. Advances in technology are also exploring the creation of polyester from bio-based sources, aiming to reduce dependency on oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Despite these efforts, polyester at the end of the day is plastic and it makes no sense that the same process used for fossil fuels is used for clothing.

Spandex, also known as elastane or by the brand name Lycra, is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a lightweight, soft, and smooth material that can stretch up to five times its original length, making it a crucial component in a wide range of clothing for its ability to enhance comfort and fit. First developed in the 1950s as an alternative to rubber in garments, spandex quickly became indispensable in the fashion industry, particularly in activewear, swimwear, and underwear.

From an environmental standpoint, spandex presents challenges similar to those of other synthetic fibres. Being petroleum-based, its production is resource-intensive and contributes to the consumption of non-renewable resources. Additionally, spandex is not biodegradable, leading to concerns about its long-term impact on the environment, particularly as it contributes to the growing issue of textile waste in landfills.

Natural rubber offers an intriguing alternative to elastane (spandex) in various applications due to its unique properties and environmental benefits. Derived from the sap of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), natural rubber possesses elasticity, resilience, and durability that can be harnessed in the textile industry, particularly in the production of elastic components of clothing.

Natural rubber boasts notable advantages for the planet and our well-being, but it's not a perfect match just yet. Its elasticity and strength are commendable, yet sometimes they can't fully compete with the stretch and resilience of elastane. Moreover, transforming rubber trees into chic garments involves navigating complex challenges, from avoiding deforestation to ensuring fair working conditions. However, Innovators and forward-thinkers are tirelessly enhancing natural rubber's performance and refining its production process, so keep an eye out for the nature-based solutions!

Nylon was a groundbreaking synthetic fibre and made its debut in the 1930s as the first true synthetic textile fibre, revolutionising the fashion and textile industries. Celebrated for its exceptional strength, elasticity, and resistance to abrasion and mildew, nylon quickly became a cornerstone material for a vast array of products, ranging from hosiery and swimwear to parachutes and toothbrush bristles. Its invention marked a new era in textiles, offering a durable, versatile, and cost-effective alternative to natural fibres.

The creation of nylon involves the polymerization of caprolactam, resulting in a material that boasts high tensile strength and flexibility. This process yields a fibre capable of being woven or knitted into fabrics that are lightweight, yet strong, with a silky smooth texture. Nylon's ability to dry quickly and retain its shape even after repeated wear and washing has cemented its place in our wardrobes and homes.

Like other synthetics, nylon is petroleum-based, its production relying heavily on non-renewable resources and emitting significant levels of greenhouse gases. Additionally, nylon is not biodegradable, contributing to the persistent problem of plastic pollution in our ecosystems. The durability that makes nylon so valuable also means it can take decades to decompose, posing challenges for waste management and recycling efforts.

Synthetics should simply be replaced by natural fibres, which is extremely easy in most cases. For stretchy materials, it is more complicated, however solutions are being developed.

+ COREVA™ is an innovative technology developed and patented by Candiani Denim that uses a plant-based yarn obtained from natural rubber to replace synthetic, petrol-based yarns. Made from organic cotton wrapped around a natural rubber core, the result is a yarn that is completely plastic-free and biodegradable. By replacing conventional synthetic and petrol-based elastomers with a new, custom-engineered component, Candiani has created an innovative stretch denim fabric – without compromising the elasticity, physical qualities, and durability of jeans.

+ Mechanical Stretch. One natural stretch solution we have seen from Naveena Denim is creating high-stretch fabrics made from 100% cotton. How have they done this? The Mecha-Stretch concept is a mechanical stretch concept designed for 100% cotton woven fabrics. It truly has an elastic behaviour thanks to a specialised weaving technique. This kind of weaving technique can be found in all fashion garments.

The environmental and social impacts of synthetic materials have long been a concern, but with growing awareness of the harms associated with their extraction and processing, recycled versions are now emerging as the fashion industry's celebrated sustainable alternatives.

From PET bottles transformed into polyester fabric to reclaimed nylon fishnets morphing into swimwear, there is hardly a single high street fashion brand who isn’t shouting about recycled synthetics.

Certifications include:

Global Recycling Standard (GRS)
Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)

Recycled synthetic materials are like the fashion industry's nod to a "less guilt" approach, trying to clean up the mess left by their non-recyclable siblings.

While recycling lets synthetic materials take a second chance at life, it's kind of like slapping a band-aid on a much larger problem. We're still in bed with the plastic, complete with its tricky microplastics that make a break for with every wash, turning our oceans and aquatic friends into unwilling participants in this not-so-glamorous saga.

Sure, converting waste into wearable items does cut down on some energy and resource use, but let's face it, we're essentially still sitting at the table with the petrochemical industry. So, while recycled synthetics are making an attempt at a "less bad" approach, perhaps it's time to get rid of them altogether.

STEP 1

raw materials

Need help finding a supplier or getting connected directly at the farm level? Contact Simply Suzette here.

What & How

Best Practices

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What & How

What & How

Best Practices

What & How

What & How

What & How

What & How

What & How

Best Practices

What & How

Plastic Free

Mycelium Leather

Plastic-Natural Combination

PU Leathers

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