NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC FIBRES

The fabrics used to produce clothing begin as fibres - natural fibres, semi-synthetic fibres, or synthetic fibres.

Natural fibres are made from natural, plant- or animal-based materials (e.g. cotton, wool, silk, hemp, linen, cashmere).

Semi-synthetic fibres (e.g. viscose/rayon, modal, lyocell) have a natural source (usually wood or another cellulosic source such as bamboo), but require chemical processing to produce the fibre. The cellulose polymers comprising these fibres are produced during a long production process involving caustic chemicals. For this reason, semi-synthetic fibres are also termed regenerated fibres.

Synthetic fibres (e.g. polyester, fleece, acrylic, acetate, nylon, spandex/lycra/elastane) are derived from petroleum through an industrial process that essentially creates plastic fibres.

The distinctions between natural and synthetic fibres are relevant in terms of the environmental impacts they pose. Importantly, synthetic fibres release thousands of microplastics when washed that make their way into waterways and cause ‘invisible’ ocean pollution.

The Environmental Case for Natural Fibres Over Synthetics

It is of great concern that human activity can have such a detrimental impact on the marine environment. This point was recently highlighted in research finding extraordinary levels of industrial pollution in the world’s deepest ocean trenches – regions of the planet that are over 10 kilometres deep and that have been largely unexplored.

Unfortunately, the production of polyester-based clothing has grown exponentially since its invention in the 1940s. Global polyester demand exceeded that of cotton in 2002 and its demand is currently the highest growing of all textile fabrics. Sadly, microfiber pollution in the oceans has followed in step with the production levels of synthetic fibre.

The problem is not limited to ocean pollution per se. Ingested by marine animals, microplastics travel up the food chain and are eventually consumed by humans when consuming seafood.

For all the reasons discussed above, we don’t use polyester or other synthetic fibres in the garments we offer.