Materials come in different colors and sizes, but those aspects are just what first catches your eye. What materials are made of is also an important factor. Sustainable materials have been on the rise for the past few years as people began to realize how much plastic materials have built up in our landfills and oceans. There are two categories of sustainable materials: natural materials and recycled materials. Although both are great for the environment, there are some drawbacks that come with recycled materials. Moreover, recycled plastic materials still contain the harmful chemicals that they did originally. These chemicals are dangerous because they can bypass your skin layer and enter your bloodstream. However, they are still making a positive impact on the environment through giving the plastic a second life.
Here is a breakdown of four popular sustainable materials:
Here at CLOECO, Tencel is near and dear to our hearts. We love it not just because it is made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, but also because they practice a closed loop production cycle. This means that they limit the amount of solvent waste and use renewable energy resources for electricity. Tencel is also a very skin friendly material as it is breathable, absorbent, and very soft. For all these reasons and more, we chose it as the main material that we use in our Tencel Tights.
https://www.patagonia.com/shop/hemp-clothing
Hemp is another new able fabric used to make bags and clothing. It is a super durable fabric made from plants. Although hemp sometimes has negative connotations, it is actually a great alternative fiber to plastics because of its natural strength properties and unique textured look. Patagonia has been one of the main companies that integrates hemp into its clothing lines. Interested in giving it a try? Check out the website linked below.
Pineapple Leather is a great vegan alternative to traditional animal based leather. Pinatex believes in producing pineapple leather to leave less of an impact on the environment than traditional leather does. It is amazing how much this sustainable alternative looks like traditional leather.