Ivy Boudreau

Ivy Boudreau May 2019 Let’s talk about clothes! Check the tag of whatever you’re wearing right now – what does it say? If it says polyester, rayon, spandex, or acrylic, they’re all man-made fibers. What does this mean? Unlike natural fibers, which are made from mostly unaltered natural sources such as the wool of animals or fiber strands from plants, man-made fibers are created either from completely man-made materials or highly processed natural materials. You may be thinking yes, natural fibers sound more appealing for aesthetic reasons, but what real difference does it make as far as the environment is concerned? Let’s look more closely at how each of these fibers is made. Polyester​ is made from oil, which is a well-known cause of environmental problems. Oil drilling has caused devastation throughout the world in many ways, including oil spills, such as ​a recent incident in Colombia​ that killed over 2,400 animals, destroyed plants and trees, and forced people to relocate due to health problems. Additionally, the refineries​ where crude oil is transformed into other products cause a host of environmental and human health problems, including pollution from the disposal of waste, chemicals that cause respiratory problems, and the release of a large quantity of carbon monoxide emissions, which leads to global warming. Acrylic​ and ​spandex​ are made from polymer, which is essentially ​another word for plastic​. While decomposing, they release ​persistent organic pollutants (POPs)​ into the air, soil, and water, as well as the bodies of humans and other animals. This can happen through chemicals leaching into the soil and water, micro particles of plastic floating in the air, or chemicals soaking directly into the body through contact with plastic. Additionally, ​about 8% of the world’s oil production​ is used as part of the plastic making process. Rayon​ might seem like a natural fiber since it’s made of tree pulp, but it’s a by-product of the paper industry​, ​which has led to vast deforestation throughout the world (about 18.7 million acres worldwide per year​). Along with other non durable goods (such as clothing!), paper accounts for ​about 20% of the waste produced​ in the U.S. yearly. Unfortunately, even if something is technically made from natural materials, that doesn’t automatically make it earth-friendly. In addition to all of the issues already mentioned, all of these materials can take hundreds of years to fully decompose, which means that they will be harming the planet for years to come. Plus, have you ever worn something that just felt itchy, uncomfortable, made you sweat, and quickly absorbed bad odors? Chances are, it was made from man-made materials that don’t let your skin breathe! Imagine how it would feel to wear a plastic milk carton as a shirt – that’s pretty similar to wearing other man-made materials. So, what are some better options for the planet (and your comfort)? If you’d prefer to avoid animal products, you have lots of options: Cotton​ – derived from the fluffy substance that grows on the cotton plant. It’s common, but not the most environmentally friendly choice among natural fibers since it requires a lot of water to grow and is often grown with a lot of pesticides. Hemp​ – derived from the long fibers in the stalks of the hemp plant. It’s a particularly environmentally friendly pick, as it requires less water and pesticides than cotton. Linen​ – derived from the fibers in the stalks of the flax plant. Linen is soft, breathable, cool in hot temperatures, and is a sustainable crop. Bamboo​ – derived from stalks of bamboo that are crushed into a pulp. Unfortunately, even though bamboo has great potential to be a very sustainable option, the fabric called “bamboo” is often just rayon produced from bamboo and made with the same harmful chemical process. However, lyocell (also known as Tencel) ​is environmentally safe​. Ramie​ – derived from the stalks of a type of nettle called ramie. It makes a fabric similar to linen and is also highly sustainable. If you don’t mind wearing animal products, you have even more options! Wool​ – derived from the wool of sheep. The sheep are sheared of their coat (a process that actually needs to be done for their own comfort), and that can be painless or quite traumatic depending on the care with which it is done. Wool is warm, water repellant, and can be a bit itchy. Silk​ – derived from the cocoon of silkworms. The moths are boiled in their cocoons to aid in the harvest of the silk (they’re also usually eaten by the farmers), which has called the ethics of the practice into question. Cashmere​ – derived from the neck hair of cashmere goats. This is collected by either combing or shearing the goat – similarly to wool, it can be painless or traumatic depending on the care and expertise of the shearer. Alpaca​ – derived from the wool of alpaca. The process is very similar to the process for producing wool, and the resulting fiber is even softer and warmer than wool. Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I’ll talk about finding affordable ways to buy clothes made from natural fibers!