Photo: Suicine / Flickr

In this day and age when more people are becoming environmentally aware and adjusting their lifestyles accordingly, it should come as no surprise that clothes are also under scrutiny. There is a debate going on regarding the appropriateness of synthetic and natural fabrics in the manufacture of clothing, linen and other fashion accessories. It might seem obvious at first glance, but this is not as clear cut an issue as you might think. There pros and cons to both types of fabric.

Under attack

Synthetic fabrics have been under assault for some time now. Proponents argue that they are cheap to produce but there are some major drawbacks. They are made for petrochemicals which are fossil fuels. This is a resource that the planet is rapidly running out of.

To stop the clothing from shrinking and wrinkling, man-made fabrics are often coated with a formaldehyde or perfluorinated chemicals (PFC), which has been associated with cancer. And in order for these fabrics to hold dye better, they are further coated with chemical fixatives which contain heavy metals. These are not biodegradable and impact negatively on the environment.

Some synthetic fibres to avoid include acrylic, polyester, rayon, acetate, triacetate and nylon.

The ‘good guys’

Natural fabrics contain fibres from animal or plant origin such as cotton, hemp, sisal, tencil, wool, alpaca, cahsmere, silk, jute and bamboo. These are generally more breathable than synthetic fibres. They are biodegradable and renewable.

Because they are natural, these fabrics often don’t last as long as their man-made counterparts.

It’s not over yet

Although natural fabrics are renewable, they are resource intensive when it comes to water (for the plant-based fibres) and grain (to feed the animals which produce wool), than synthetic fibre.

Some man-made fabrics are also more expensive to maintain and clean than wool or cotton. In addition, some natural fabrics actually last longer thanks to innovative manufacturing techniques.

So how does one choose? Ideally, you’ll inform yourself of the manufacturing process of whatever garment you purchase and wear. It’s time-consuming but if you wish to be more aware and make better choices for your health and the environment, it’s a small sacrifice.

Tags: clothing, Eco-friendly