Eco-friendly Fabrics: Why Do You Need Them?
Before we begin, we need to understand that there is a difference between natural and eco-friendly fabrics. Natural fabrics include leather, wool, and other animal-derived materials, which are so not eco-friendly, truth be told. The process of wool shearing is heartbreaking, to say the least, the same goes for the collection of animal felt and leather. We repeat, these are not eco-friendly. But that is a different discussion, this here is a discussion about actually eco-friendly fabrics.
What exactly are eco-friendly fabrics?
The term eco-friendly states that any material that is good for the ecosystem of a place and nature, in general, should be called eco-friendly. It doesn’t mean natural materials that can be collected from nature, but if you can collect them without harming nature, that can be deemed one. It doesn’t always have to be entirely natural, for example, rPET or recyclable polyester fabric is entirely artificial but is still eco-friendly for its recyclable attributes.
To sum up, we can say that if the creation of fabric does not necessarily damage the ecosystem of the world, and if the fabric is recyclable and reusable, we can consider it as eco-friendly. Hemp, Bamboo, Silk, Soy, Organic Cotton can be good examples of such fabrics.
Why do we need eco-friendly fabrics?
We can answer the question in one simple sentence- ‘to save nature’. But we will elaborate, but first, you need to understand the impact of non-eco-friendly products in nature.
Take acrylic for an example. These are 100% synthetic and not biodegradable. The recycling and reusing value? ZERO. Which is why anyone concerned with nature should avoid them. Polyester is another fabric that is artificial and generally isn't biodegradable. There are recyclable ones though, but apart from them, polyester harms mother nature as nothing does.
With the emergence of issues like global warming, we need to step up before half the world dives deep underwater. While we enjoy sea beaches, living underwater will certainly not be suitable for us, so to save nature and save ourselves we have to start using eco-friendly products, and starting from the fabric we use can be a good idea.
But it’s not just about nature. If you consider the quality, endurance, and easier and fairer trade system, eco-friendly fabrics are always ahead. Hypoallergenic and long-lasting clothes are preferable for most people. The culture of ‘Make-Use-Dispose’ has resulted in tons of garbage in this modern era, and time for us to clean the garbage. Time to go green, time to help rebuild nature with eco-friendly fabrics.
A few Eco-Friendly Fabrics:
Enough reasoning, time for us to learn more about the types and whereabouts of these eco-friendly fabrics. Let’s jump straight into it!
Hemp
This is a superhero amongst fabrics. I mean, a plant that produces three times more fabric than cotton- this is immense! The hemp fabrics are durable, antibacterial and biodegradable. The plants generally require relatively less water, so no chance of spending a lot here too! Hemp, if grown on a large basis may require pesticides that are bad for nature, but other than that this is a decent eco-friendly fabric.
Bamboo
Bamboos are called ‘Green Gold’ in many places of the world, and rightfully so! A plant that regrows without replantation, a fabric that is renewable, biodegradable and comfortable- it is a mystery as to why people are not more interested in bamboo fabrics just yet. These trees even make sure the soil is fertile and doesn’t require any kind of fertilizer. That’s not just it, Bamboo fabric can produce oxygen, at least 35% more than other fabrics.
Linen
Linen is made from Flax plants, which are a blessing to nature and mankind themselves. The flax seeds are common food material, whilst the body is used as fabric. Like Bamboo, the plants don’t require a lot of care, fertilizers or pesticides are not necessary with it. Linen fabric is well known as bedsheets and bedcovers. This antimicrobial and biodegradable fabric can last very, very long if taken care of properly.
Organic Cotton
Make no mistake, there is a huge difference between regular cotton and organic cotton. The regular one covers a large sum of pesticides and insecticides in the world, damaging the soil by overusing it. But organic cotton fabrics are not made in such a manner. Organic cotton is made from cotton seeds and only requires water, a lot of it, in the production. The biodegradable feature is here as well, but organic cotton can still be problematic because there may well be a scarcity of drinkable water in the days to come.
Recycled Polyester
People might be surprised to find out a polyester fabric in the list of eco-friendly fabrics, mostly because polyester is kind of the main reason behind most of the pollution out there, and the never-ending growth of plastic is scary. But with recycled polyester the tale is different. We have to understand that alongside reducing the production of polyester, we also need to know how to make use of the remaining plastic products in the world, and recycling them over and over again for making durable fabric is a brilliant and eco-friendly idea.
Soy-made fabric
Soy is another versatile and easy growing plant that is available all around the world. This here is a multipurpose plant, we can use it as a food, cloth fabric, and even household products. It is biodegradable and quite durable, so eco-friendly is like it’s the middle name. From soy we can get silk and cashmere fabric- both quite expensive if collected from silk cocoons and cashmere goats. To put an end to animal cruelty and to save nature, soy fabrics can be a brilliant option.
If you’re a follower of the reuse, reduce, recycle rules, then such fabrics will give you a different touch of satisfaction. Nature is gradually losing its battle against pollution, it’s time you step up and start using eco-friendly and sustainable products. At Levantex, we have the best eco-friendly fabrics you need that will also be a blessing for the environment.
