The sparkling sequins worn at glamorous parties and prestigious events (like the Olympics) are hard to miss. Yet, one might overlook the fact that these fabrics embellished with shiny and often plastic-based coins come at huge environmental costs. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are sequin fabrics?

Spider silk is generally considered to be one of the strongest materials made in nature. Its extreme resilience inspired the creation of Qmonos, an artificial spider silk fiber—and, later on, Brewed Protein, a protein polymer suitable for apparel material that was developed to make up for Qmonos’ shrinking issues—both by the Japanese company Spiber. These nature-inspired materials have gathered much attention regarding their (supposedly) lower environmental impacts. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are Qmonos/Brewed Protein fabrics?

The Chinese nettle, from which ramie fabrics are made, is one of the oldest fiber crops. Yet, the material has only been traded in small quantities beyond the borders of the few places where these nettle species grow. In the search for sustainable textile alternatives, this linen-like fiber is gathering attention for being an environmentally friendly choice. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are ramie fabrics?

Though canvas is often considered in the context of painting, it is also used in various other applications, from sailcloth to tents to outdoor work clothes, all the way to high fashion accessories. Canvas’s environmental impacts, similar to its usages, are diverse and inconsistent, depending largely on the type of natural fibers used. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are canvas fabrics?

Nissan is the 8th largest automaker in the world by sales and produces popular models in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In recent years the majority of Nissan’s sales and production has been conducted in China, which is the hub for modern electric vehicle (EV) battery production. Typically rapid expansion like this is accompanied by unsustainable behavior. So we had to ask: How sustainable are Nissan cars?

Your wardrobe likely contains more than just one but several clothing items made with denim fabric. It is the material of the ubiquitous jeans and much more. Yet the cotton fibers that make up the majority of denim fabrics are notorious for polluting production, exploitation, and even modern-day slavery. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are denim fabrics?

Velvet is a type of fabric traditionally woven with silk and gradually modernized with more recently invented fibers. Since velvet can be made from any kind of yarn, its environmental impacts are diverse and inconsistent. So, we had to sit down and untangle the question: How sustainable are velvet fabrics? 

Polyurethane (PU) fabrics have gained popularity in recent years, especially as a substitute for leather. This material is spotlighted as a cruelty-free, vegan, and low-impact alternative for your bags, your shoes, or your car’s interiors. Are polyurethane fabrics truly better than conventional textiles or rather greenwashed? So we had to ask: How sustainable are polyurethane fabrics?

Elastane is this seemingly magical fiber that helps your form-fitting clothes stretch and contract without a fuss. It is a very useful material for certain types of clothing (think: yoga pants), but at what cost? Producing new elastane fibers from petroleum, which is often the case, has huge adverse environmental impacts. So we had to ask: How sustainable are elastane fabrics?

Lycra is a brand trademark commonly used interchangeably for the material “spandex” itself. The stretchable and elastic Lycra (or spandex) is a very useful material for certain types of clothing (think: yoga pants). And while producing new Lycra® fibers from petroleum has substantial adverse environmental impacts, Lycra® EcoMade fibers are manufactured with biobased and recycled materials. So we had to ask: How sustainable are Lycra® fabrics?

Spandex is this seemingly magical fiber that helps your form-fitting clothes stretch and contract without a fuss. It is a very useful material for certain types of clothing (think: yoga pants), but at what cost? Producing new spandex fibers from petroleum, which is often the case, has huge adverse environmental impacts. So we had to ask: How sustainable are spandex fabrics?

When ECONYL® was first created in 2011, this recycled nylon fiber seemed like a win-win material that helps reduce plastic waste while sidestepping fossil fuels. But is ECONYL® a green fiber or rather greenwashing? So, we had to ask: How sustainable are recycled polyester fabrics?

Ford is one of the most well-known American car brands in the world. Historically, they are most famous for Henry Ford’s innovation of the assembly line to build cars on mass. And today, they are still known for the large volume of cars they produce every year. While their traditional car image is one of diesel work trucks and V8 muscle cars, Ford also produces several fully electric and hybrid-electric vehicles. So we had to ask: How sustainable are Ford cars?

Recycling plastic bottles to make polyester fabrics reduces the amount of long-lasting, potentially hazardous plastic in landfills and avoids digging into the nonrenewable fossil reserve for more virgin plastic. This seemingly win-win situation has put recycled polyester into the spotlight of new green textile materials. But is it truly all sustainable or rather greenwashing? So, we had to ask: How sustainable are recycled polyester fabrics?

Recycling plastic waste to make nylon fabrics reduces the amount of long-lasting, potentially hazardous plastic in landfills and avoids digging into the nonrenewable fossil reserve for more virgin plastic. And recycled nylon fabrics seem like a win-win situation, but there is more to it. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are recycled nylon fabrics?