Understanding The Best Sustainable Activewear Fabrics And Why They're Better
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Introduction
As environmental concerns take center stage in the fashion industry, the focus on sustainable and eco-friendly materials has never been more pronounced. While traditional fabrics like conventional cotton and synthetic fibers come with heavy environmental costs and can contain harmful toxins, sustainable alternatives are providing a path to a greener wardrobe.
This article delves into the process of creating eco-friendly materials and explores why they offer a superior, sustainable choice.
Understanding Sustainable Materials
Before diving into their creation and benefits, it's essential to define what we mean by sustainable materials. Broadly speaking, these are materials made with a minimized environmental impact. They may be derived from renewable or plant-based resources, require less water and energy to produce, and cause less pollution. Often, they're also biodegradable or recyclable.
Sustainable materials can be natural (like organic cotton or hemp), regenerated (such as Tencel Lyocell), or synthetic (think recycled polyester). Each type has its own production process and set of environmental benefits.
Producing Sustainable Materials
Let's now examine how some common sustainable materials are produced:
- Organic Cotton: Unlike conventional cotton, organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, using farming methods that maintain soil health and biodiversity. Seeds are non-GMO, and water use is optimized through practices like rain-fed irrigation.
- Organic Hemp: As one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics, organic hemp is easy and efficient to grow. It naturally resists pests, thus eliminating the need for pesticides, and requires less water than many other crops. The fibers are extracted from the plant stalks through a process called retting.
- Tencel Lyocell: Made from wood pulp with sustainably managed and FSC certified eucalyptus trees, Tencel Lyocell production is remarkably eco-friendly. The wood is chipped, dissolved in a non-toxic solvent, and then pushed through tiny holes to form fibers. The solvent is almost entirely recovered and reused in a closed-loop process, minimizing waste and pollution.
- Recycled Polyester: This synthetic fiber is made from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles or old polyester garments. The materials are cleaned, crushed, and melted to produce new polyester fibers, saving energy and preventing plastic waste from ending up in landfills or oceans. While recycled polyester or RPET is a sustainable option, one drawback is that it's still derived from synthetic materials made from fossil fuels.
Why Sustainable Materials Are Better
Choosing sustainable materials over their traditional counterparts provides several environmental benefits:
- Reduced Water Use: Many sustainable materials, like hemp and organic cotton, require significantly less water to grow than traditional ones. This is crucial in a world where water scarcity is a growing concern.
- Minimized Pollution: Conventional textile production often results in substantial pollution, from pesticide run-off to toxic dyes. sustainable materials combat this by eliminating or drastically reducing the use of harmful substances.
- Lower Carbon Footprint: Sustainable materials often have a smaller carbon footprint or are carbon neutral. For instance, growing organic cotton produces up to 46% less greenhouse gas than conventional cotton. Similarly, recycled polyester uses around 59% less energy than virgin polyester.
- Waste Reduction: Many sustainable materials are recyclable or biodegradable. This contrasts with synthetic fibers, which can take hundreds of years to decompose and are a significant contributor to microplastic pollution.
- Protecting Ecosystems: By eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides and promoting biodiversity (as in the case of organic cotton and hemp), sustainable materials help maintain healthy ecosystems.
- Safe Working Conditions & Sustainable Practices: Textile manufacturers producing sustainable materials often care more about ensuring their supply chains are paying employees a living wage and treating them ethically. One of the many downsides of fast fashion is the sheer volume of materials required to keep up with demand creates an environment where corners get cut.
Identifying Sustainable Clothing Brands
Identifying genuinely sustainable brands amidst marketing noise can be a challenge. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Materials Used: Sustainable brands often use eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, organic hemp, Tencel Lyocell, or recycled polyester. Look for certifications like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or bluesign® that guarantee certain environmental standards.
- Production Process: Sustainable brands are transparent about their production process, often providing information about their factories, energy use, water management, and waste disposal. They should have strategies in place to minimize their environmental impact.
- Ethical Labor Practices: A genuinely sustainable brand respects its workers' rights. Look for fair trade certification or information about workers' wages, working conditions, and rights.
- Durability and Timelessness: Sustainable fashion isn't about trends. Look for brands that offer high-quality, durable pieces that are designed to last and offer timeless appeal. Fashion brands constantly coming out with new styles every week are not just wasting resources but creating lower quality garments that usually don't last very long.
- End Life Management: Many sustainable brands have take-back or recycling programs to manage their products at the end of life, minimizing waste.
- Certifications and Partnerships: Certifications like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, Bluesign, B Corp, Fair Trade, or Cradle to Cradle, or partnerships with environmental organizations, can indicate a brand's commitment to sustainability.
Conclusion
As the fashion industry grapples with its environmental impact, the switch to sustainable materials offers a powerful tool for change. These materials challenge the status quo of resource-intensive and polluting practices, offering a more sustainable way to dress.
As it relates to sustainable activewear, our first product, the Silver Sea Low Impact Lifestyle Sports Bra, is made from TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers, derived from natural raw wood material and produced from a resource-saving, closed loop production process. TENCEL™ can absorb about 50% more moisture compared to cotton or organic cotton and the fibers are naturally unfavorable to odor causing bacteria.
At the very core of our values are comfort, style, and sustainability, and we can't wait for you to experience the buttery soft feel of our unique blend of TENCEL™ Lyocell, enjoy the comfort and support of a design that took a year and a half to create, and replace your regular bra with the most comfortable and sustainable sports bra there is.
In addition to our toxin-free and sustainable sports bras, tanks, and long sleeve, keep an eye out for sustainable leggings, bralettes, tanks with built in sports bra, high impact sports bra, skorts, matching sets, and more!
Understanding how sustainable materials are made and why they're better is the first step towards making more informed, environmentally friendly fashion choices. While challenges and debates still exist around the sustainable credentials of some materials, the shift towards eco-friendly alternatives is a definite step in the right direction.
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