Melody Lau has joined the Green Squirrel team behind the scenes to help with all our web updates, so hopefully we will be able to send more information to you about what we are trying to acheive in the coming weeks. Here is a bit about ethical fabrics from Melody - enjoy!
FAIR-TRADE
Fair-trade means that not only are the farmers and people who produce the fabric guaranteed a fair wage but their health and welfare is looked after. Fair-trade helps work towards ending exploitation and defeating poverty through trade.
ORGANIC CLOTHING
Organic means no chemicals were used in the growing or production of the fabric. Organic clothing uses natural fertilisers and crop rotation to keep the soil fertile. This means that the agriculture uses methods that are natural and ecological whilst being socially and ecologically sustainable: weeding is done by hand and pests are controlled biologically by using other insects who are their natural enemies. On the other hand, conventional cotton accounts for approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and 10% of the world's pesticides. These chemicals are harmful to both the farmers as well as contaminating the environment.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is much more environmentally friendly than the traditional variety found in the High Street shops as it uses no pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides during the growing cycle. There are many growers of this crop, and the number is steadily increasing. Usually manufacturers using this plant to make textiles follow up the process by using natural dyes to further reduce the amount of chemicals discarded into our ecosystem.
The unique qualities of organic cotton make it a great resource for the production of high quality and comfortable organic women's clothing.
The inherent qualities of organic cotton clothing is that it’s very soft, breathable and comfortable next to the skin.
SUSTAINABLE FIBRES
Soy
Soy fabric is actually an eco-friendly fabric, surprisingly made from a by-product of soybean oil production. This means that it’s a sustainable textile fibre made from renewable and biodegradable resources: the waste soy protein is liquefied and extruded into continuous fibres which can then be spun into cloth. It’s part of an effort to move consumers away from petrochemical textile products and turn waste into useful products.
Soy fabric has many desirable qualities. Compared to silk, this resists wrinkles. It dries quicker than linen or cotton. Soy fabric is extremely soft and even feels silky to the touch with excellent drape qualities. This fabric allows perspiration to evaporate, which isn’t always true for synthetics as it is cool and comfortable during hot weather.
Lyocell
Lyocell is made of cellulose (vegetable matter) which is extracted from wood pulp. The wood is taken from managed forests and renewable plantations, , typically a mix of hardwood trees like oak and birch. This makes it a natural fabric, and it is noted for its durability and strength, in addition to its eco-friendly manufacturing techniques. Only one chemical is used to dissolve the wood pulp which can be recovered and reused again and again in the production process. Garments made of Lyocell are fairly expensive, not only because of manufacturing, but because only one company distributes the fabric: the only current manufacturer in the United States is Lenzing Inc, who market it under the trademarked brand name Tencel.
The main characteristics of Lyocell fibres used in clothing are that it is soft, absorbent, and very strong when wet or dry, and resistant to wrinkles. The garments can be machine- or hand-washed or dry-cleaned, it drapes well, and it can be dyed many colours, as well as simulating a variety of textures like suede, leather, or silk. Currently Lyocell is more expensive to produce than cotton, but is included in many everyday items. Filament fibres are used in items that have a silkier appearance such as women’s clothing. Lyocell can be blended with a variety of other fibres such as silk, cotton, polyester, linen, nylon, and wool.
Hemp
By far, the crop with the most potential for eco-friendly textile use is hemp. The ecological footprint of hemp is considerably smaller than that of most other plants considered for their fibres. Hemp plants grow very quickly and densely which makes it difficult for weeds to take hold, eliminating the need for herbicides and artificial fertilisers. It thrives on the amount of water in the average rainfall, and it is highly pest-resistant. Hemp has naturally long fibres which makes it suitable for spinning with a minimum of processing.
Hemp fabrics come in a variety of weights and textures. One great advantage of hemp is that it is biodegradable. It is also very strong, durable and, due to the fibres porous nature, good at absorbing water. In addition to trapping water it can trap air making garments warm in winter but allowing them to be breathable and cool in summer. Hemp also stretches less than other natural fibres so garments will hold their shape. The more hemp is used the softer it gets - it doesn't wear out.
Linen
Linen is made from the flax plant where the seeds are taken out, the fibres are loosened from the stalk and the woody parts of the stalk are removed. Most of the process is done mechanically making it an environmentally-friendly fibre. Linen is highly absorbent and will quickly remove perspiration from the skin. At the same time, Linen is a stiff fabric and is less likely to cling to the skin, e.g. perspiration, it tends to dry out and become cool so that the skin is being continually touched by a cool surface. It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibres do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion.
Modal
Modal is a bio-based fibre made by spinning re-constituted cellulose from beech trees. It is about 50% more water-absorbent per unit volume than cotton is. It is designed to dye just like cotton, and is colour-fast when washed in warm water and so resistant to shrinkage and fading. They are smooth and soft, more so than even mercerised cotton, to the point where mineral deposits such as lime, do not stick to the fabric surface.
INGEO corn fibre
Ingeo is a new environmental-protection fibre is the world's first commercially viable synthetic fibre derived entirely from renewable resources. It is created by extracting the starch and then sugars from corn, and processing them to make a fibre, which can be spun into a yarn or woven into fabric.
Ingeo fibres combine the comfortable wear and feel of natural fibres such as cotton, wool and silk with the ease of care and specialty performance of synthetics.
The corn fibre yarn has a good property of drape-ability, moisture absorption and air permeability.
RECYCLED FIBRES
Statistics shows that In the UK, more than a million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every single year (DEFRA). We can all put an end to the throw-away culture by being less care-free and recycling more. We can help to slow the use of resources and reduce carbon emissions and pollution, simply by using the word ‘RE’. Re-cycle,
re-claim, re-make, re-fashion and re-consider.
- Post consumer waste includes anything that is discarded after it has been used for its intended purpose. Sometimes individual pieces are re-worked, other times the whole product is pulped and turned back into useful fibre.
- Pre consumer waste is products that were thrown away before its manufacture. This includes, excess fabric, scraps left over from cutting out etc.
- Recyclable is anything that can be recycled.
- Compostable: clothing made from natural materials can be composted.
