Imagine wearing a stylish shirt made from a byproduct of corn? How about a luxuriously soft undergarment produced from bamboo fibres? With the shift in environmental consciousness, more and more people are opting for clothing made from natural fibres, using eco-friendly manufacturing practices. This is because some manmade textile products can have detrimental effects on the environment, such as pollutants that run off into river systems, chemical-laden toxic dyes used to colour the fabrics and unfair work practices for sweatshop workers.

Chemical clothing

Good Environmental Choice, a group that administers the Australian Certification Program for labelling, says that even cotton, one of the most common textiles, is grown and harvested with heavy use of herbicides and chemical fertilisers. Cotton accounts for more than 16 per cent of the world’s chemical pesticide use — that’s more than any other single crop.

Daron McFarlane, managing director and owner of Melbourne-based Eco Wear, says consumers should be wary of buying cotton that’s been sprayed with pesticides. “There will be residuals in the fibres when you wear them. So in the same way that people are conscious to go out and buy organic food that hasn’t been sprayed, you can argue that by wearing clothes on your skin that have chemical residuals your body is likely to be absorbing those as well.”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many toxic chemicals used in the textile industry are known or suspected carcinogens, according to the experts. Good Environmental Choice Standards manager Sonya Ku says these carcinogens can be introduced to textiles at any phase of production. “This includes the processing of both natural and synthetic fibres and the treatment of textiles to achieve certain aesthetic or functional properties. Both known and suspected carcinogens can work their way into fabrics,” she says.

Organic products such as cotton, hemp and bamboo require negligible use of environmentally damaging fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. So going organic is good for not only your health but also the health of the planet. From organic cotton, to hemp, bamboo, soy and sorona (a corn byproduct), blends of bamboo with cotton, hemp and nettle, and much much more, it seems we really are spoilt for choice in eco-friendly clothing alternatives.

Friendly fibres

Organic cotton

Throughout its entire lifecycle, from planting to processing, organic cotton clothing incorporates environmentally sound processes. Organic cotton is non-genetically modified. It’s certified to be grown without the use of any pesticides or herbicides, so it’s meeting consumers’ demands for a clean, green product. Organic cotton was one of the first types of new “green” clothing. However, it does not offer as high a yield as non-organic cotton. Without the use of chemical fertilisers there will be some loss to insects, so levies are usually applied, meaning you pay a little bit more to go organic. But isn’t it worth it?

Soy

Soy fabrics are another eco-alternative to manmade textiles. Soy is best known for its silky-smooth feel. It’s a byproduct of tofu manufacture and has anti-bacterial properties, so it’s great for undergarments.