Sustainable fabrics are gaining importance with the growing concern about the environment and ecological sustainability. A sustainable fabric is one that is prepared from sustainable materials that have an eco-friendly process of production. With the world moving towards making more sustainable life decisions, wearing sustainable clothes is playing a major role in the movement.
The goal of sustainable fabrics is to minimize the damage caused to the environment during the manufacturing process by carbon reduction and water conservation. Here is a list of sustainable cloth materials that are available in the market:
1. Organic Cotton: Organic cotton is a type of cotton that is grown naturally without the use of fertilizers or pesticides as opposed to regular cotton which is made from genetically modified seeds or GMOs.
The picking process also differs and affects the purity of every fiber, organic cotton is hand-picked ensuring that no fiber is damaged, this along with the use of no pesticides makes the fabric made out of organic cotton safer for skin and the environment. It protects the ecosystem by reducing wastage of water and ensuring a safer work environment for the farmers and manufacturers.
2. Organic Hemp: Although harder to find, buying clothes made of hemp can actually be an investment. The fabric is season friendly, strong and soft. The plant that is used to make linen or hemp is called flax and is easy to grow. One of the most bankable benefits of hemp is that it yields 2–3 times more fiber per acre than cotton.
3. Econyl: Also referred to as regenerated Nylon, Econyl is made from ocean and landfill waste and converted to sustainable fabrics unlike Nylon which causes a significantly detrimental environmental impact. The fiber is stretchy when woven, relatively tough and easy to weave into tightly knit garments and industrial textiles.
4. Bamboo fabric: It can be called a future fabric, because the amount of water it uses for cultivation is less, also bamboo fabric has antibacterial properties that make it immune to allergies or infections. It can be easily recycled as well.
5. Cupro: is a soft and silky fabric which is derived from waste cotton fibers surrounding the linter popularly known as cotton seed. In other words, it can be called regenerated cellulose. This fabric can give tough competition to silk and at the same time is safe for the environment also.
6. Alpaca: Alpaca wool is the perfect partner for the winter season. It is comparatively softer and more durable than sheep wool. This fabric provides better breathability and is environmentally friendly since it does not contain lanolin. It is also easier to knit than traditional wool.
Brands should monetize the concept of sustainable fashion which is the future of the fashion world. Fashion Startups or established businesses should adopt sustainable fashion to make their business stronger. Though sustainable fabrics are widely available in the market. But the best place to source superior quality fabric is Locofast. Its is the largest marketplace for fabrics with wide variety of fabrics, delivered on time.