You may wonder what on earth is so alternative about fabrics such as silk and linen. However, half of the world's clothing and textiles consist of synthetic
(made from oil) and manmade fibres, such as nylon and viscose or so-called ‘natural' fibres, such as conventional cotton (heavily dependent on chemical pesticides and insecticides, and vast amounts of precious water), so you can see the appeal of the less common options.
We support the use of alternative fibres, not just silk and linen, but also hemp, nettle and even bamboo as well as manmade sustainable fibres such as Tencel®. Research into new alternatives continues, including experimentation with soya and banana leaves!
Bamboo doesn't require any pesticides or fertilizers or even much water to grow. It tends to grow very quickly, often guaranteeing a huge yield of material and because the roots aren't pulled-up during harvesting, the soil can be kept stable.
However, there are both chemical and mechanical ways to turn bamboo into fabric and it's not always clear which process has been used. We're working with our bamboo brands to ensure transparency on the sourcing and processing and to make improvements where necessary.
Bamboo can used to make anything from bicycles and furniture to towels and clothing.
Did you know?
There's now even a bamboo laptop, the EcoBook; and a bamboo racing bicycle.
Silk comes from the cocoons of silkworms. The cocoons are placed in boiling water so the gummy substance that holds them together dissolves and the strands can be unwound. Believe it or not, the strand of silk that comes from a cocoon is between 600 and 900m long. Strict vegetarians and vegans normally avoid silk as it involves the death of the silkworm, however ahimsa or 'peace silk' is made from the cocoons after the worm has hatched.
According to Human Rights Watch the Indian silk industry has up to a quarter of a million children working in appalling conditions, some even as bonded labourers, producing silk thread and textiles. We therefore avoid selling Indian silk, although some of our fair trade garments and accessories made in India may contain some silk.
Linen is made from the flax plant through a process of rippling, retting and scutching. Basically the seeds are taken out (rippling), the fibres are loosened from the stalk (retting) and the woody parts of the stalk are removed (Oh that's what ‘scutching' means, we hear you say). Whilst there is some chemical retting, most is done mechanically making it an environmentally-friendly fibre.
Not to be mistaken for its psychoactive relative, marijuana (both from the cannabis plant) industrial hemp is a fast-growing and super-strong fibre that can be grown naturally without using nasty chemicals. It is possible to grow hemp organically on most of the world's farmland. The long tap root is able to reach water, bind and aerate the soil where other plants can't, and hemp crops can even be used to reclaim land in areas prone to drought or flooding.
Yes, really. The Himalayan nettle or allo, growing wild and sustainably in Nepal, can, after a bit of low tech slicing, soaking and boiling, be spun into yarn. Not only is this totally environmentally sustainable, it also provides work and income for people in one of the poorest countries on earth. And we promise you won't get stung.
Tencel® is relatively new on the scene and proving to be quite exciting. Wood pulp is spun into fabric using a 'spinnaret' (like a colander) with most of the production taking place in the United States or in Grimsby (of all places!). Lenzing, the brand that produces Tencel® (the generic name is Lyocell), have taken eco-sustainability to heart; their wood is sourced from renewable plantations, they're gaining FSC certification, and the process uses just one chemical, that is extracted and re-used again and again, in a closed loop process. Their system is so clean, they've even gained the coveted European Eco Flower Label certification.
Modal® is another Lenzing fibre. It is made from totally chlorine-free beechwood chips, from 'farms that practice sustainability'. Believe it or not one of the by-products of the process is the sweetener Xylitol!
Natural Rubber also known as Hevea rubber is 'tapped' by communities in the Amazon rainforest who depend on this activity for survival. The rubber is recyclable and is completely non-toxic. This responsible natural rubber collection is helping to prevent deforestation in indigenous areas of Brazil. Both the tapping and processing also help to provide sustainable incomes for these poor communities.