Environmental Fabrics

Organic Cotton

The main problem with conventional cotton is the amount of pesticides and insecticides used in its production. These chemicals not only kill many useful insects but have also been linked to illness in farm workers. Organic cotton uses fewer pesticides in its production and is also GM free if this is an issue you are interested in.

Hemp

This crop grows so close together that it is not necessary to use pesticides and herbicides are not required either as this crop is so tough. Unfortunately, as hemp is associated with the cannabis drug, it is not grown as much as it should be. It should be noted that industrial hemp is chemically different from the drug and therefore would not give the same high if smoked!

Hemp is cheaper, grows faster and you can get three times the amount of hemp from an acre of land than you can if you grew cotton.

Polyester

More energy is needed to produce polyester than cotton however less energy is needed to dye the material. Polyester also does not need large amounts of pesticides and does not need land for crops. Polyester generally needs less ironing as it is more crease resistant, saving energy.

Wool

The benefits of wool are that it is a long lasting durable fabric that is unlikely to fall apart after a couple of washes, like some synthetic fabrics, so its green credentials are fairly positive. However non-organic wool is still treated with chemicals at all stages of its production.