Quick Question: What *Really* Makes a Sustainable Material?
Photo via SFF
Welcome to Quick Question, a series where we unpack the sometimes confusing topics that are often discussed but not always explained in sustainable fashion. Have a q? Submit your burning question to hello@thesustainablefashionforum.com to be featured on SFF?
Around 80% of a garment's environmental footprint is determined at the raw material level, so for many designers and brands, the easiest first step on their sustainability journey is to begin by replacing existing materials with sustainable alternatives. However, sustainable material sourcing is no easy task.
Whether plant-based (cotton, linen, etc.), animal-based (wool, silk, etc.), or a synthetic manmade fiber (polyester, nylon, spandex, etc.), every material comes with trade-offs. The extraction, processing, and manufacturing of materials is inherently accompanied by challenges that can have short-term and long-term implications for people and the planet.
For example, although plant-based materials are considered "natural," the true environmental and social impact of these materials depends on several factors, including where and how it is grown and harvested. Not to mention, plant-based fibers often require large amounts of water, chemicals, and energy to turn into the final fabric. Additionally, industrial agriculture can have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and soil/land degradation.
There's a common assumption that naturally derived materials are always the most sustainable option; however, like most sustainability issues, the conversation is nuanced. Though a natural material in and of itself may have a smaller environmental footprint, when scaled, the process of cultivating the material in mass can increase its negative impact. This is why a handful of "ranking" tools rate polyester better than natural fibers because polyester tends to use less water, additives, dyes, pesticides, etc.
Known for being incredibly durable, versatile, and relatively inexpensive to produce, synthetic fibers, specifically polyester, are the most commonly used fabrics in fashion. Synthetic fibers are made from crude oil, a natural, non-renewable resource extracted from the earth, and usually formed through chemical processes that heavily rely on energy use. Synthetic fibers also generate microplastics, tiny pieces of fiber that are shed mainly through washing and end up in our water, food, and bodies.
Though we often associate synthetic materials solely with fabric, crude oil-based products are found throughout the fashion supply chain as trims, zippers, buttons, ribbons, elastic, etc. In fact, most sewing thread used in the industry is synthetic (usually virgin polyester). This means that many garments made with natural fabrics still contain plastic threads which adds a layer of complexity to textile recycling.
Though commonly marketed as a “green alternative,” recycled synthetic fabrics raise similar concerns, experts say that recycled fibers have close to the same impacts on the environment as virgin synthetics and exacerbate fashion's reliance on fossil fuels by strengthening the continued role of synthetics in fashion.
From oil, land, and water to pesticides, dyes, and chemicals, materials and fiber choice is a complex topic with no single solution.
No one fabric can do it all. Each fabric choice has its trade-offs. Whether a fiber is better or worse depends on the numerous factors influencing the life cycle of fabric – from the cultivation of the crop through to processing, assembly, transportation, use, and the subsequent disposal of the garment by the consumer.
And, to add another layer of complexity, just like "sustainability" can mean many different things depending on personal ethos, the same can be said for determining sustainable materials. A sustainable material could refer to it containing no animal byproducts, or it can mean no plastic (not even recycled). It could be defined as less water use, fewer carbon emissions, or fewer chemicals.
In the absence of cohesive legislation, third-party certifications and ranking systems are often used by the industry to help guide fashion on its sustainability journey. However, many of these tools have come under fire for failing to present a holistic view of materials (think human rights, animal welfare, specific farming impacts based on region, microplastics, etc.), disregarding the full life cycle of materials – including garment use and disposal, and enabling greenwashing.
With so many contradicting perspectives, how should brands approach material sustainability? What really makes a sustainable material? What questions should brands ask when determining what materials to use? How should data be used to compare and contrast materials? What is the role of third-party ranking systems and certifications? What is the role of synthetics in fashion's sustainable future?
Join us at SFF22 for an industry roundtable, What Really Makes a Sustainable Material exploring the nuanced layers of material sustainability featuring Dr. Amanda Parkes, Chief Innovation Officer of PANGAIA, Vice President of Bombyx, Hilmond Hui; Diana Rosenberg, Sr. Manager, Product Sustainability at GAP Inc; Triarchy Denim Creative Director, Adam Taubenfligel and Tara St James Founder of Re:Source(d); moderated by Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal’s Sourcing and Labor Editor.
