Real Talk: sustainable textiles
When you start to go into the rabbit hole of sustainability it can be pretty frustrating to realizethat most of the textiles we wear are not sustainable. Even organic cotton can be problematic because of the amount of water it has to be wasted to create the famous “fabric of our lives”. So what’s a nature lover to do? We work every day to promote and celebrate the textiles that are making a difference, but here’s a list of ideas in order of importance if you really want to become more conscious when shopping for clothes:
1. ❌ leather: the leather industry is responsible for a lot of environmental damage. Cows are not only responsible for most methane in the atmosphere, In order to feed them we need grass, which in turn creates huge areas of deforestation. You could argue that leather is a secondary product, but in reality leather is the luxury product of the cow, and with such high demand, specially for fast fashion the planet can’t keep up. Some of the most common problems for leather, chromium and lead thrown into the water supplies of small towns, killing rivers, and injuring people who depend on the river for clean water. Cancer, vitiligo and intelectual disabilities in children and severe asthma are the most common diseases Connected to leather production. The alternative? Piñatex, and vegan companies working on developing biodegradable alternatives. Current solution: PU, although this option is not compostable, we truly recommend you shop consciously when buying PU. see our vegan leather products HERE
2. ❌polyester: polyester is responsible for lots of micro plastic fibers in the ocean, and thus in our food. It is also made from petrochemicals, which support the oil industry. We recommend you stay away from this fabric, which not only is full of cancer causing chemicals, but also never biodegrades, staying up to 200 in landfills releasing methane. Alternatives: deadstock polyester, which is surplus fabric which was destined to landfills. Another alternative? Vintage, giving new life to clothes by others is definitely a sustainability plus. Shop our deadstock pieces HERE
3. ❎ Cotton: shop responsibly. Cotton is the most important fiber of our times. And it makes sense, it’s a super breathable fiber, biodegradable, easy to care for and he principal component of denim, the most popular fabric in the world. But Cotton comes with a heavy price tag, from heavy water waste, to overuse of pesticides causing brain cancer in farmers, to suicides in India due to the use of Monsanto seeds, cotton is tainted with many problems. Alternatives: we offer cupro (vegan silk) made from cotton waste in a nearly circular process, and additionally we offer denim made in a process that recycles water and doesn’t use electricity. But you can also start by buying certified organic cotton, deadstock cotton, and caring for your denim, by repairing and mending pieces you own. Shop our vegan silk HERE and our Eco Denim HERE
4. ✅ Tencel: this fiber has won multiple awards due to it’s sustainable standards. Tencel is made from bamboo trees which grow pretty fast, and are harvested sustainably. It’s a very strong fabric, which can be easily cared for and which requires less water to dye. Also this fiber is white originally so you don’t need to bleach it if you want it to be white. Shop our Tencel pieces HERE
5. ✅ eco linen: is made form the flax plant which requires little water to grow (it grows with rainwater), it’s also biodegradable and very easy to recycle. we use linen at Carolina Benoit because it’s a very resistant fiber, and it has a perfect fashion drape. Our favorite fiber, we also make a point to dye it with Azo free dyes. Shop our linen pieces HERE biodegradable options. Current solution: PU; although this option is not compostable, we genuinely recommend you shop consciously when buying PU. see our vegan leather products HERE
2. ❌polyester: polyester is responsible for many micro plastic fibers in the ocean and thus in our food. It is also made from petrochemicals, which support the oil industry. We recommend you stay away from this fabric, which not only is full of cancer-causing chemicals but also never biodegrades, staying up to 200 in landfills releasing methane. Alternatives: deadstock polyester, which is the surplus fabric that was destined to landfills. Another alternative? Vintage, giving new life to clothes by others is a sustainability plus. Shop our deadstock pieces HERE
3. ❎ Cotton: shop responsibly. Cotton is an essential fiber of our times. And it makes sense; it’s a super breathable fiber, biodegradable, easy to care for, and the principal component of denim, the most popular fabric in the world. But Cotton comes with a heavy price tag, from bulky water waste to overuse of pesticides causing brain cancer in farmers to suicides in India due to Monsanto seeds; Cotton is tainted with many problems. Alternatives: we offer cupro (vegan silk) made from cotton waste in a nearly circular process. Additionally, we offer denim made in a process that recycles water and doesn’t use electricity. But you can also start by buying certified organic Cotton, deadstock cotton, and caring for your denim, by repairing and mending pieces you own. Shop our vegan silk HERE and our Eco Denim HERE
4. ✅ Tencel: this fiber has won multiple awards due to its sustainable standards. Tencel is made from bamboo trees which grow pretty fast and are harvested sustainably. It’s a solid fabric that can be easily cared for and requires less water to dye. Also, this fiber is white originally, so you don’t need to bleach it if you want it to be white. Shop our Tencel pieces HERE
5. ✅ eco linen: is made from the flax plant, which requires little water to grow (it grows with rainwater); it’s also biodegradable and easy to recycle. We use linen at Carolina Benoit because it’s a very resistant fiber, and it has a perfect fashion drape. Our favorite fiber, we also make a point to dye it with Azo-free dyes. Shop our linen pieces HERE
