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Create sustainable fabrics that are eco-friendly and stylish

Nowadays, with the global advocacy for environmental protection, sustainable fabrics are constantly emerging, and you may be a little confused, just like you can never find your favorite T-shirt.

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Nowadays, with the global advocacy for environmental protection, sustainable fabrics are constantly emerging, and you may be a little confused, just like you can never find your favorite T-shirt.

The true meaning of sustainable fashion combines different aspects, including ethical business practices, chain transparency, minimum impact policies, giving back programs, and the sustainable materials that make up your wardrobe.

When it comes to pollution, the fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters. The materials that make up fabrics directly affect and contribute to consumption, microplastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, rainforest destruction, and landfills.

If you think that fabric is the beginning of protecting the environment, then Xiaobian will take you to know some sustainable fabrics used by brands today~

Sustainable natural and plant-based fabrics

Organic cotton

Organic cotton is one of the most natural fabrics. It is grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and it is processed without chemicals. From an ecological point of view, organic cotton cultivation uses 62% less energy and 88% less water than conventional cotton. The relevant certifications prove that the cotton is grown without any chemicals and has not been processed without any linguistic substances, ensuring that the final garment is free of chemicals.

Organic clothing brands use this fabric in almost all types of clothing: organic underwear, organic mattress protectors, organic maternity wear, organic baby wear, and many more.

Certifications: USDA-Certified Organic, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Better Cotton Standard, Fair Trade, Bluesign, Oeko-Tex 100

Recycled cotton

Recycled cotton is produced from post-industrial or post-consumer waste. Many slow fashion brands use it, which means that your favorite cotton lingerie or sustainable jeans are made from industrial waste or other recycled cotton clothing.

Organic hemp

Hemp is one of the most environmentally friendly natural fabrics. It has a high yield, is beneficial for the growth of the soil, and it requires much less water than cotton. It is considered a carbon-negative feedstock that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Because it has so many benefits (such as natural sunscreen and antibacterial) and is more difficult to grow, hemp tends to be slightly more expensive than other sustainable organic fabrics.

Organic flax

Linen is almost identical to hemp in terms of sustainability. The fabric is ultra-light and breathable, with the only difference being that the flax is extracted from the flax plant. It requires very little fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation to grow. However, unlike hemp, flax is not produced in high quantities.

However, linen is still more popular, from linen clothing to textiles such as linen sheets, which means that it is one of the most popular fabrics.

Organic bamboo (bamboo hemp)

When harvesting bamboo, it can be done without killing the plant itself. This means that bamboo can be renewed very quickly, and it is also one of the fastest growing plants on the planet. Like hemp, bamboo consumes more carbon dioxide than some trees. And it doesn't require a lot of investment, and it can survive close to rainfall.

Organic bamboo can be turned into one of the most sustainable fabrics, but that doesn't mean it will always be the case. Depending on how it is processed, it can involve chemically intensive processes and the harmful effects they bring. Attention to machining is a more environmentally friendly way, but it only accounts for a small part of the market.

Cork cloth

Cork cloth has moved away from preconceived notions and into the shoes and bottles and into our clothes. This material has become a popular material for vegan bags and shoes. Cork is picked from cork oak trees by scraping off the bark.

When cork oak regrows bark, it consumes more carbon dioxide than most types of trees. As a result, a cork plantation can actually act as a carbon sink. Once the cork has been harvested, it can be dried in the sun and transformed into a fashion product with only water required.

Sustainable synthetic fabrics

ECONYL

ECONYL is recycled nylon, which uses new nylon fabrics synthesized from ocean plastics, discarded fishing nets, and discarded fabrics. While it feels exactly the same as nylon, the fabric is manufactured using a closed-loop system that doesn't require as much water.

Recycled polyester

Recycled polyester, also known as RPET, is clearly wreaking havoc on our environment as single-use plastics, and many brands have figured out ways to give landfill plastic bags, bottles, and textiles a second life.

Recycled polyester is versatile and can take on many different sensations and functions. Recycled polyester can be used to make lightweight, stretchy movements, as well as a variety of sustainable products that are thick and fluffy. Sustainable fashion brands such as Patagonia, prAna and Reformation have been using it for years.

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