TOP 5 SUSTAINABLE FABRICS
With ethical and sustainable fashion, one of the most important considerations is the fabric that is used to make each piece. Have you ever looked at the tags on your clothes to see what the fabric composition is and not known what it meant? There are many innovative sustainable fibres used to produce our clothes and accessories today and it can be overwhelming at times remembering what each of them are.
WHY IS SUSTAINABLE FABRIC IMPORTANT?
The fast fashion industry is having a devastating effect on both the environment and the people involved in making our clothes. With most of this clothing being produced in the developing world, some of the impacts include human rights violations and toxic production processes.
The fabric that is used to make an item of clothing, will affect the impact the clothing will have on the environment. This starts from the supply chain – sourcing the raw materials, all the way through to how to item will breakdown at the end of it’s life – that is, whether it is recyclable, compostable or will ultimately end up in landfill.
SUSTAINABLE FABRICS
We at KEEPER Denim have put together a small guide of these sustainable fabrics, some of them you may have heard of before, others may be new to you.
- ORGANIC COTTON
Organic cotton differs from conventional cotton as it is grown without the use of toxic synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which is better for the soil and safer for cotton farmers. The cotton used in both our KEEPER Denim jeans and tote bags is organic cotton, certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This ensures the fibre meets several social and environmental standards throughout the production process, from the growing of the crop, through to the final product.
- HEMP
Hemp comes from the Cannabis Stavia plant, which requires a low amount of water and no pesticides or herbicides to grow. It also naturally fertilises the soil it grows in. Some of hemps' properties include weather resistance, strength, and its ability to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.
- LINEN
Linen is very similar to hemp, in that they are both light and breathable fabrics, which makes it perfect for the warmer summer months. As a bonus, it also only needs small amounts of fertiliser and water to grow!
- BAMBOO
When bamboo is harvested to be turned into a fibre, the plant does not die, it can grow back, in fact did you know it is one of the fastest growing plants in the world!
- RECYCLED POLYESTER
This fabric is made from recycled PET plastic bottles that have been discarded, helping to reduce the amount of plastic in landfill. The denim used in our KEEPER Denim jeans contains recycled polyester made from post-consumer PET plastic bottles.
We hope you enjoyed reading this KEEPER Denim post on our top 5 sustainable fabrics! Make sure to keep an eye out for them when you’re next shopping for clothes. They are sustainable alternatives to help reduce your impact on the planet!