Clean By Design: Fiber Facts

The choice of fabric at the design table strongly influences the environmental impacts of a garment over its lifetime. Fibers made from plants, such as cotton and bamboo, can require huge quantities of water and pesticides to produce, while animal-based fibers such as cashmere can have severe impacts on the environment where the animals are raised. Synthetic fibers are often made from petro-chemicals that require a lot of energy to produce, but sometimes can be recycled. Fabric choice also drives consumer care requirements, which themselves have large water, energy, and toxic chemical impacts.

Related Issues
Human HealthToxics