Popular Materials For Sustainable
Fashion In Australia

With so many new and innovative materials in the slow fashion industry, it can be hard to keep up with the best ones.

Check out our handy guide to help you find the best sustainable fabrics for your wardrobe!

Organic Cotton

The growing and manufacturing processes of conventional cotton are far from sustainable. In fact, conventional cotton is responsible for a huge amount of pollution and damage to the environment. Harmful chemicals are used in its production, making it dangerous for farmers and consumers alike.

Organic cotton is a more sustainable option than regular cotton. It is grown without the use of harmful chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, and GMO seeds. In addition, organic cotton needs 62% less energy and 91% less water usage compared to conventional cotton.

Not only is organic cotton more environmentally friendly, but it also supports local communities. Many companies producing organic cotton implement ethical practices such as fair wages and safe working conditions.

When you choose organic cotton, you are choosing an eco-friendly, biodegradable, and renewable material that benefits everyone involved. This is a popular material that you will find amongst leading brands like Etiko, Noskin, DK Active and Cloth & Co.

Organic Linen

Linen is an incredibly sustainable material that has been used by humans for thousands of years.

This natural fiber is made from the flax plant which is incredibly durable and requires very few resources such as water or fertilizer to grow. It's completely biodegradable and renewable, as long as it hasn't been treated with chemicals.

In addition, linen is a naturally hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial fabric that helps regulate body temperature and resists the light. Choose organic linen to conventional linen to avoid chemicals used in the manufacturing processes of conventional linen. Check out our men's shirts for great linen options from DESTii. 

Organic Hemp

When it comes to sustainable fabrics, hemp is one of the best options out there. Hemp is a sustainable fabric comparable to linen. The hemp plant is from the same family as the marijuana plant. Hemp is easy to grow and does not require chemicals or excessive amounts of water.

Organic hemp is biodegradable and renewable, making it a great choice for eco-conscious consumers. In addition, hemp is extremely strong and durable, meaning that it will last longer than other fabrics.

Hemp is UV resistant and is also temperature regulating, making it a comfortable fabric to wear in all sorts of weather. So next time you're shopping for new clothes, be sure to consider hemp!

Recycled Materials

As the fashion industry continues to grow, so does the amount of textile waste it produces. Every year, billions of pounds of textile waste end up in landfill where it pollutes the environment.

Recycling textile helps to reduce the amount of textile waste. It also uses less energy than producing new fabric from raw materials. For these reasons, recycled materials are sustainable materials. The percentage of recycled fabric is still very limited because most textile items are mixed with other materials, which makes them difficult to recycle.

Some popular recycled fabrics are Repreve, Econyl and mixed recycled blends!

Recycled Polyester

Polyester is one of the most polluting fabrics in the clothing industry. Both its production and its recycling processes create extensive pollution to our environment. Made from petroleum, polyester can take hundreds of years to decompose.

Fortunately, in recent years, many sustainable clothing brands started to turn used polyester into a sustainable clothing option: recycled polyester, or rPET. This material comes from used plastic water bottles.

You can often find recycled polyester in clothes such as swimwear, sportswear, or sneakers.

Recycled Cotton

Cotton is one of the most widely used materials in the fashion industry, but it can also be one of the most destructive. As a result, many brands are now turning to recycled cotton as a more eco-friendly option.

Recycled cotton is made from post-consumer waste, meaning that it doesn't require any new resources to produce. It also uses far less water and energy than traditional cotton production, making it a more sustainable choice.

Many fast fashion brands, such as H&M, now use recycled cotton in their clothing collections and dedicate some efforts to decreasing their environmental impacts.

Tencel

TENCEL is leading the way in sustainable textiles.

Made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, TENCEL is a regenerated non-natural fiber. TENCEL products use less harmful chemicals in their production, and up to 90% of their dissolving agents are recycled.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, TENCEL is also stylish and versatile. Its wrinkle-resistant properties make it perfect for physical activity, while its breathability keeps you cool and comfortable in any climate.

Our favourite brand using Tencel is Tasi Travels. They use this eco-friendly textile throughout their range to become one of the best Australian made clothing brands!

Econyl

Nylon is strong, durable, and easy-to-produce material. It’s a popular choice for a wide range of applications, from clothing to carpeting to fishing nets. However, nylon is also a non-biodegradable plastic, which means that once it's used, it will remain in the environment for centuries.

Enter Econyl. Econyl is a regenerated nylon made from post-consumer waste like old carpets, clothes, and fishing nets. It can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing any quality, and it requires fewer resources to produce than conventional nylon.

Active Apostle turns discared nylon into beautiful activewear for men and women - shop their range today!

Piñatex

The use of Pinatex as an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum products is paving the way for innovative designers who want to avoid using animal skins or other fabrics in their designs.

Dr. Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish leather goods expert, developed this natural material from pineapple leaves. It’s a tough yet durable material that can replace leather in shoes or jackets. 

Looking to shop Pinatex? Find the coolest vegan watches from Time IV Change today!

Viscose/Modal

Viscose rayon, modal and cupro fibers are materials derived from the cellulose of fast-growing trees. Cellulose, or wood pulp, is a resource coming from trees such as eucalyptus, beech, or bamboo. This is why viscose rayon is called a "regenerated cellulose fiber", meaning that it is made from renewable plant materials.

The production of viscose rayon fiber is less detrimental to the environment than oil-derived synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon. But it’s also more eco-friendly than cotton as it uses less land, irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizers to cultivate the trees.

As more and more people become aware of the importance of sustainability, it is likely that viscose will continue to gain in popularity in categories like dresses and pants.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a sustainable resource that has been used for centuries for everything from building materials to traditional medicine.

In recent years, bamboo has also gained popularity as a fabric due to its softness, durability, and breathability. However, what makes bamboo fabric truly sustainable is its ability to regenerate quickly after being harvested.

In addition, bamboo requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow, further reducing its impact on the environment. When all of these factors are considered, it's clear that bamboo is a sustainable choice for fabric. This is a really popular fabric for soft and luxurious sleepwear!

Repreve

Repreve is made from recycled plastic bottles. Its production process creates fewer carbon emissions than for the production of virgin polyester.

The eco-friendly material keeps plastic bottles out of oceans and landfills by recycling them into useful products. So far, Repreve has recycled 34 billion bottles and counting.

The fabric is often used in sportswear clothing as it features multiple technical benefits such as: wrinkle resistant, lightweight, flexible, and water repellent.

Vegan Leather

According to The Economist “If everyone were vegan, only a quarter of current farmland would be needed.”

Vegan leather is often made from materials like recycled plastic, or plant-based leather. These plant-based leather and materials made out of recycled fibres are durable and sustainable alternatives. They require less energy and water to produce and therefore have a lower carbon footprint and environmental impacts on the planet.

Additionally, many vegan products are also cruelty-free and have banned animal testing. Shop La Enviro to discover a wide variety of vegan leather watches, straps and wallets. 

Amni Soul Eco

Amni Soul Eco is a sustainable yarn that decomposes rapidly when discarded in landfills. It takes about 5 years for this garment to decompose, whilst other fibers take decades to do the same.

The garment was specially created to break down into organic matter (biomass) and biogas so both of these can then be exploited as new environmental resources as well as being used to cogenerate electricity.

Shop Styelle Swim for sustainable swimwear made using Amni Soul Eco!