AppleSkinTM is a leather alternative made with cellulose fibers from apple peels, commonly a by-product of the apple juice industry. This material is hyped as a bio-based, vegan, and sustainable replacement for leather. But is such a claim legitimate or greenwashing? So, we had to ask: How sustainable are AppleSkinTM fabrics?

Piñatex is a leather alternative made with the strong fibers from the pineapple leaves, which are usually thrown away after fruit harvest. Unlike animal leather production, turning this plant-based waste into Piñatex fabrics doesn’t involve toxic chemicals. Better yet, it is a closed-loop process. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable are Piñatex fabrics?

The cotton crop demands a lot of resources. Using water, land, and energy to grow new cotton plants for fibers has significant environmental impacts, which can be reduced by recycling cotton fabrics. However, recycling cotton comes with its own challenges, especially with the logistics of collecting and sorting discarded cotton garments and scraps. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are recycled cotton fabrics?

Cupro fabrics are silk-like materials made with cellulose fibers extracted from cotton waste. Consequently, cupro fabric is hyped as a recycled, vegan silk alternative without animal cruelty. However, the chemical process which turns cotton fibers into cupro fabrics is problematic. So we had to ask: How sustainable are cupro fabrics?

The hemp plant has a bad reputation because of its marijuana association. But the fact remains that industrial hemp contains only a tiny amount of the psychoactive component of cannabis. Industrial hemp is a low-input crop with positive environmental impacts. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable are hemp fabrics?

The hemp plant has a bad reputation because of its marijuana association. But the fact remains that industrial hemp contains only a tiny amount of the psychoactive component of cannabis. Growing organic industrial hemp (for fibers, seeds, and oils) has many positive environmental impacts. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are organic hemp fabrics?

Conventional cotton is notorious for polluting production, exploitation, and even connected to modern-day forced labor. Organic cotton cultivation and production are supposed to solve some of these long-lasting problems, while also being better for the environment. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are organic cotton fabrics?

Organic linen is what you could call a niche product. It is hard to come by, but when you can find products made from it, they often come with praise for their fabric’s sustainability. Organic linen fabrics are made with natural fibers from organic flax – a rainfed crop grown without chemicals. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable are organic linen fabrics?

Cotton is the most commonly used natural fiber. Yet it is notorious for polluting production, exploitation, and even modern-day slavery. The story of cotton fabrics goes beyond its natural and renewable raw material. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are cotton fabrics?

With a long history stretching over five millennia, linen is such a deep-rooted fabric that many say linen when they mean fabric in general, despite linen’s merely 1% volume of the global apparel fiber consumption. Linen fabrics are made with natural fibers from flax – a low-input crop with significant environmental benefits. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable are linen fabrics?

Bamboo fabrics are touted for being sustainable, but many have legitimate concerns. Though the fast-growing, easy-to-regenerate bamboo plants have great potential for sustainability, greenwashing practices can mislead consumers in their choice of bamboo clothes. So we had to ask: How sustainable are bamboo fabrics?

EcoVero™ is a relatively new viscose fabric, produced and trademarked by Lenzing AG since 2017. And Lenzing AG, as a company, is ranked in the top position of the Viscose Producer Performance report by the environmental nonprofit organization Canopy. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable are EcoVero™ fabrics?

Reclaimed wood is wood that has been saved and repurposed. Using reclaimed wood has many environmental benefits, including reducing wood waste, lessening the pressure to cut down living trees, and shortening material transportation distances. Still, we had to ask: How sustainable is it to buy products made of reclaimed wood?

Bamboo modal fabrics are made in a chemical process using cellulose fibers from bamboo as raw materials. Its ultra-soft property is one of the many things that set bamboo modal apart from, for example, the rougher-feeling bamboo linen. Yet, bamboo fabric as a group has been overhyped for being sustainable. So we had to ask: How sustainable are bamboo modal fabrics?

Bamboo viscose fabrics are made in a chemical process using cellulose fibers from bamboo as raw materials. Its silk-like property is one of the many things that set bamboo viscose apart from, for example, the rougher-feeling bamboo linen. Yet, bamboo fabric as a group has been overhyped for being sustainable. So we had to ask: How sustainable are bamboo viscose fabrics?