Which are the 8 Best Sustainable Fabrics in Fashion

I’ve been wondering about sustainable fabrics in fashion for a while so I decided to do some research. I have found several eco friendly fabrics to look out for when you next need a new clothing item. It can be a bit difficult to find sustainable fashion materials so I hope this helps.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small profit if you buy through my link. I would never recommend something I didn’t believe in or wouldn’t buy myself, thank you for your support.

The Worst Fabrics

Polyester

Polyester is said to be one of the worst fabrics environmentally. Polyester is made from petroleum and therefore fossil fuels. The process of creating this fabric also releases toxins into the environment.

It is also not biodegradable as they believe that it will take 200+ years to decompose. Along with this, regular washing of Polyester clothes means that microplastics works it’s way through our water system and eventually lands in the ocean. Causing major issues for marine life. This is something to consider even if you get secondhand clothes which are made from Polyester.

Acrylic

Acrylic fibre, also known as Acrylonitrile is another fibre made from plastic. It’s commonly used in Jumpers and knitted wear as an alternative to Wool. Like Polyester it’s extremely cheap to make but terrible environmentally.

I’m not sure of the technical side of it, but the plastic is subjected to a process which turns it into somewhere between a solid and a liquid and it is then spun to the desired properties.

When I first went vegan I checked all of my jumpers as I thought they might be Wool. The majority of them were actually synthetic and Acrylic or Polyester.

Nylon

Nylon is commonly used on things like underwear, tights (hosiery), parachutes, tents and ropes. Aside from a few pairs of bamboo underwear I bought last year, majority of my underwear is Nylon. Take a look, you might find the same.

From my research it seems the process to make Nylon is similar to Acrylic and Polyester and therefore has a really bad environmental impact. It doesn’t biodegrade and it’s made from plastic derived from Crude oil.

Cotton

Although Cotton is a natural material so unlike the last three, it does biodegrade. It is by no means good for our environment.

Cotton uses a lot of water in it’s growing process. It takes approximately 2700 litres of water to make a Cotton t-shirt.

This article states that globally 35 hectares of Cotton are cultivated, due to such a high demand for it worldwide. The same article also states that the high pesticides used on the ordinary Cotton are then released into the air. Resulting in the area around the Aral Sea having the highest rates of throat cancer in the world.

Of course pesticides don’t just effect people, they are also polluting the waters and the animals in the surrounding areas.

Organic Cotton

Of course Organic Cotton at least does not use these same pesticides to produce, however it is still very water intensive, so I haven’t included it as a sustainable fabric. The better option is of course Recycled Cotton, if you can find it.

That-being-said Organic Cotton is generally quite an affordable fabric so if you in particular needed a new item of clothing. Organic Cotton is worth considering.

What Fabric Is The Most Sustainable

You may be wondering what are the different types of sustainable fabrics? The below fabrics including recycled cotton, organic linen, Tencel and Pinatex are the most sustainable fabrics. Recycled Cotton for example is made using post-industrial and post-consumer cotton so it uses much less water to make.

Bamboo

Bamboo itself is a more sustainable fabric than the ones listed above, however be aware that some fabrics that state bamboo are actually Rayon or Viscose from Bamboo and the process to create this fabric from the wood pulp can be harmful on the environment.

The process also removes so much of the bamboo, that in some cases it can no longer be referred to as bamboo – therefore making it not an eco friendly fabric. This article goes into more detail about this.

Bamboo when compared to trees is much better environmentally because it grows so much faster, absorbs more carbon dioxide and it doesn’t require fertilisers either.

Bamboo on it’s own is actually quite rough in fabric so it’s usually mixed with other fabrics to give a softer feel to it.

I currently wear vests from Bam Clothing which are soft and made from 68% bamboo viscose 28% organic cotton and 4% elastane. Bam Clothing is very transparent on their website and they discuss working closely with their supplier to ensure good waste management practices are in place.

Being vegan and an environmentalist, looking for sustainable fashion materials that are not from an animal – can be tricky. Despite the process to make bamboo I still think it’s a good option but just be sure to check websites thoroughly before you buy something.

Hemp

Hemp is a plant that loves sunlight, therefore it’s mostly grown in hotter countries or under hydroponic lights. The health benefits of CBD from Hemp are definitely more well known in recent years. Previously I feel people have been unable to think of Hemp without thinking about Marijuana.

It is said that hemp could be used for a plastic substitute, fabric, paper and bio oil. This article states that hemp can absorb 22 tons of carbon per hectare and it’s not released, when the hemp is cultivated.

Hemp is another material that doesn’t need fertilisers to grow and it needs only 5% of the water that Cotton does. Hemp also removes toxins from the soil whilst growing which is awesome!

Hemp is one of my favourite sustainable fashion materials. It feels slightly rough but it’s so durable and I like that. I don’t currently have any hemp clothing, however I did used to have a top many years ago which I eventually turned into a rag once it started to look discoloured.

I would definitely like to invest in something with this eco friendly fabric the next time I need an item of clothing. Not while I’m doing a No Buy year of course.

Hemp as a sustainable fabric is growing in popularity. However, some people don’t like the slight smell it has or the rough feel of it. Personally that doesn’t bother me because I’m a hippy so I love earthy smells. Plus I don’t use fabric conditioner because I prefer clothes to have a rougher texture.

In sustainable fashion materials, hemp can be mixed with cotton to give it a more stretchy soft feel for t-shirts and tops.

Recycled Cotton

While Cotton itself is not a sustainable fabric, recycled cotton is made using post consumer waste and post industrial waste – making it a brilliant sustainable fashion material.

Cotton is such a popular fabric in the fashion industry because it’s stretchy and feels soft against the skin. If you have a preference for Cotton, recycled cotton is an eco friendly fabric you should look out for.

Organic Linen

Organic Linen is a great sustainable fabric. Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant. It’s strong, durable and it dries much quicker than Cotton. It’s a popular material in hotter countries for that reason.

Organic Linen is pretty sustainable because it avoids the usual pesticides involved in growing of the crop. It also uses less water than cotton and no part of the plant is wasted as flax seeds are collected as seeds or for making into linseed oil.

This is one of the pricier sustainable fashion materials, however. It is quite rare for an eco friendly fabric, but I did come across a company that sell linen clothes in the UK, Wearth London.

Tencel

Tencel is a revolutionary textile. This sustainable fabric is made from sustainably sourced wood and using environmentally responsible processes. Tencel Lyocell as it’s called is made using less energy, less water and less chemicals and of course it’s a natural eco friendly fabric so it’s compostable and biodegradable, after use.

Tencel has two types of fibres, Lyocell and Modal are the brand names, I believe. Both sustainable fashion materials can be mixed with other fibres to improve their softness.

Pinatex

Pinatex in case you haven’t heard is a innovative ‘leather’ like sustainable fashion material which has recently gained B Corporation certification. Ananas Anam the creators of this sustainable material, discovered that Pineapple leaves that would otherwise be discarded, can be made into this really cool fabric.

The leaves are dried naturally in the sun, put through a process to remove impurities and then mixed with Polylactic Acid. Finally they’re put through a mechanical process to create the non woven mesh. Some of the fabric is also coloured using GOTS certified pigments and given a resin top coating to make it more durable.

Recycled Polyester

This clever sustainable fabric is made by using single use plastic water bottles. I’ve seen it used a lot in clothes and shoes when I was researching for my Sustainable and ethical brand list.

The one thing you need to consider if you buy something in Recycled Polyester is that it will still release microplastics into our water systems when washed. You can find out more about this in my Plastic in our oceans post. To combat this you can wash the item much less, use a Cora ball, or use an attachment you fit to the back of your washing machine.

Enonyl

This sustainable fabric is an alternative to Nylon and it’s made from industrial plastic waste and fishing nets.

As this eco friendly fabric is an alternative to Nylon you’re likely to see companies stocking underwear and swimwear out of this in the future.

As with Recycled Polyester, it’s still plastic so be cautious about washing anything that is made from Enonyl.

If you’re interested in learning about fast furniture, you can read the full post about what to consider when buying sustainable furniture.

Summary

In summary I think that there are a lot of great sustainable fabrics available if you have the money. Generally in order to produce the organic and ethical fabrics it is going to have a higher price tag. It’s important to remember that when looking at the sustainable fashion materials.

I wasn’t aware of the issues with Rayon or Rayon Viscose from Bamboo until I’d read Earthful Enlightenment’s Post about the issue (linked above). Be very careful if you come across a garment claiming to be made from the eco friendly fabric Bamboo, companies may state 100% bamboo as greenwashing to mislead consumers.

I do think it’s a bit of a grey area with the Recycled Polyester and Enonyl, they are still plastic after all. In my opinion it does depend what they’re used for. If for example this material is used on shoes then they aren’t going to be washed very often and therefore minimal microplastics will be released into the water system. Plus if you have some sort of filtration system to stop the microplastics that will definitely help. Not everyone will have the budget to buy new really sustainable fabrics such as Organic Linen and Hemp. In that case second-hand would be the best option.

I still prefer secondhand clothes for buying because of my budget and it’s better environmentally. I’ve also noticed since I had a clear-out of clothes in 2020 that I seem to wear the same handful of tops in circulation. I’m not even exaggerating… if I get a little bored of these I then pick from my other tops but I’m pretty low maintenance when it comes to clothes.

That-being-said some of these eco friendly fabrics are likely to last much longer than the average fast fashion item. I hope you’ve found my post about sustainable fabrics useful.

If you want regular sustainable inspiration which is suitable for beginners, sign up to my monthly newsletter below.

You can also follow me on Instagram, where I’m the most active or my YouTube channel.