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?

The recycled nylon fiber ECONYL^® is generally sustainable. Reutilizing nylon waste to make nylon fabrics reduces pressure on petroleum – the raw material for virgin nylon. The production of ECONYL^® diverts non-biodegradable nylon waste from the environment into a closed-loop system. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the life-cycle of ECONYL^® fabrics used for clothes and household items. Then, we evaluate its sustainability, potential, and shortfalls. And in the end, we’ll show you tips for buying sustainable products made with ECONYL^® fabrics.

Here’s How We Assessed the Sustainability of ECONYL^® Fabrics

ECONYL^® fabrics are generally considered sustainable. Reusing plastic to make nylon fibers reduces the pressure on petroleum or crude oil – the starting point of most virgin nylon. Thanks to fossil fuel reduction and closed-loop manufacturing, ECONYL^® is a low-impact fabric, especially compared to conventional nylon. 

“Sustainable: The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level | Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”

Oxford Dictionary

To understand the sustainability of ECONYL^® fabrics, we must assess its life-cycle and each stage’s sustainability. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials. Over the years, companies have strategically used LCA to research and create more sustainable products. So, let’s have a look at the LCA of ECONYL^® fabrics!

In this article, we’ll use the cradle-to-grave perspective of the LCA, examining the five stages of the life-cycle of clothes and bedding made with ECONYL^® fabrics. When applicable, we also look at cradle-to-gate assessments. 

We can say that ECONYL^® is generally sustainable. However, the actual environmental impact of a particular product, like stockings or sportswear, depends on more specific factors, including the collection of nylon waste, the manufacturing process, and the distance and mode of transportation. 

Let’s dive deeper into each life-cycle stage and find out how you can buy ECONYL^® fabrics more sustainably.

How Sustainable Is the Sourcing of Raw Materials for ECONYL^® Fabrics

Sourcing nylon waste for making recycled nylon is exceptionally sustainable. It utilizes waste materials instead of depleting the nonrenewable fossil reserves to make plastics – the raw materials for virgin nylon.

What Raw Materials Are Used for ECONYL^® Fabrics

ECONYL^® is nylon yarn made from 100% waste material containing nylon 6 (or PA6). Aquafil Group – the creator of ECONYL^® – sources both pre-consumer and post-consumer waste material to produce this yarn. Here are the four main groups of raw materials for ECONYL®: 

• PA6 fish nets, such as nylon nets left in the oceans by fishermen
• PA6 carpets, such as used nylon carpets collected from consumer house 
• PA6 oligomers, such as in industrial nylon waste 
• PA6 other waste, such as post-industrial nylon yarn scraps and trimmings 

How Do the Raw Materials Sourced for ECONYL^® Fabrics Impact the Environment

Sourcing nylon waste to make ECONYL^® fabrics is generally sustainable. It helps reduce plastic waste, which clogs up landfills for decades or, worse yet, ends up in water bodies, harming wildlife and humans. 

Also, sourcing 100% plastic waste for ECONYL^® fabrics means sidestepping petroleum and lessening the pressure on nonrenewable fossil resources needed to produce virgin plastic.

Sourcing Nylon Waste Instead of Virgin Plastic To Make ECONYL^® Fabrics Avoids Depletes Nonrenewable Resources 

The raw materials for virgin nylon come from petroleum or crude oil, a nonrenewable resource that takes millions of years to form and is currently depleting at a rate much too fast. 

Thus, making nylon fabrics from nylon plastic waste instead of virgin plastic avoids further depletion of the nonrenewable fossil reserves. 

According to Aquafil Group – the creator of ECONYL^®, for every 10,000 tons of ECONYL^® raw materials, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved. 

Sourcing Nylon Waste Instead of Virgin Plastic To Make ECONYL^® Fabrics Saves Energy Needed For Refining and Cracking 

The raw materials for virgin nylon come from petroleum or crude oil, which requires extracting, refining, and cracking – energy-intensive processes using fuel-guzzling machinery. 

Also, transporting fossil fuels from often far-flung extraction sites, by trucks, ships, tankers, and/or pipelines, to refining and manufacturing facilities is another source of energy usage.

Thus, making nylon fabrics from nylon plastic waste instead of virgin plastic saves the energy often required in this sourcing stage of virgin nylon.

Sourcing Nylon Waste Instead of Virgin Plastic To Make ECONYL^® Fabrics Reduces The Global Warming Impact 

The high energy consumption in sourcing raw materials for virgin nylon can lead to elevated global warming impact when manufacturing burns fossil fuels for energy. 

Additionally, the production of adipic acid – the secondary constituent part of most types of virgin nylon fabric – releases nitrous oxide. As a greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N₂O) is much worse than carbon dioxide (CO₂). 

Thus, making nylon fabrics from nylon plastic waste instead of virgin plastic saves carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions during the sourcing stage of virgin nylon. 

According to Aquafil Group’s sustainability report 2021, for every 10,000 tons of ECONYL^® raw materials, 65,100 tons of CO₂ eq emissions are avoided. 

Sourcing Nylon Waste Instead of Virgin Plastic To Make ECONYL^® Fabrics Avoids Pollution and Habitat Destruction 

Drilling for crude oil or natural gas causes lasting environmental damage, from air and water pollution to habitat degradation and destruction and other disruptions to wildlife. 

Thus, making nylon fabrics from nylon plastic waste instead of virgin plastic avoids such adverse environmental impacts. 

Sourcing Nylon Waste Instead of Virgin Plastic To Make ECONYL^® Fabrics Reduces Plastic Waste 

Humans have made, used, and thrown away a lot of plastics. Such plastic waste is choking our planet. 

• The shift towards single-use plastic packaging creates even more waste as these items are thrown away after one use. 

• Our World in Data shows that in 2010 global plastic waste (275 million tonnes) exceeded the annual primary plastic (270 million tonnes). 

• Though the wastage of plastic from previous years is the tipping point for this seemingly impossible balance, single-used plastic is among the culprits. 

Worse yet, of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated worldwide since plastic was first invented, less than 10% has been recycled. Millions of tonnes of plastic waste are lost to the environment, causing plastic pollution. 

Fossil-based nylon waste is non-biodegradable. When not recycled, such waste takes up space in landfills for decades or centuries. It gets worse: plastic waste gets lost in ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans, harming wildlife, entering the food chain, and causing escalating health risks. 

In brief, sourcing nylon waste for ECONYL^® fabrics helps reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills, the pressures on nonrenewable fossil resources, and the global warming impact of producing raw materials for virgin nylon. 

Where Are the Raw Materials for ECONYL^® Fabrics Usually Sourced From

Aquafil sources waste materials from many countries around the world, including: 

• The US 
• Canada 
• Greece 
• Egypt 
• Pakistan
• Turkey 
• Thailand 
• Norway 

From these various locations, the waste materials are transported to Aquafil plants (on 3 continents) to be processed into ECONYL^® yarn.

How Sustainable Is the Manufacturing of ECONYL^® Fabrics

Manufacturing ECONYL^® fabrics is generally sustainable. The ECONYL^® Regeneration System is a closed-loop production system that saves natural resources, lowering environmental impacts. The ECONYL^® yarn has the same quality as virgin nylon 6 and is recyclable. 

How Sustainable Is The Process To Manufacture ECONYL^® Fabrics 

The manufacturing process of ECONYL^® fabrics follows these steps: 

1. Collection: Nylon waste materials, such as discarded fishnets, carpets, and industrial plastic, are collected and used in a rough ratio of 50% post-consumer and 50% pre-consumer. 
2. Pretreatment: Collected waste goes to a pretreatment plant, where the waste is cleaned, sorted, ground, and made into pellets. 
3. Depolymerization: The pretreated pellets are broken down into monomers in a chemical process using fossil-based additives. 
4. Creating ECONYL^® fabrics: The monomers are made into ECONYL^® fabrics through a series of steps similar to manufacturing virgin nylon:
   1. Polymerization 
   2. Extrusion
   3. Loading
   4. Stretching 
   5. Drawing 
   6. Weaving or knitting
   7. Finishing 

Let’s now deep dive into a few key sustainable issues of this life-cycle stage.

ECONYL^® Yarn Has Relatively Low Environmental Impacts 

According to Aquafil Group’s life-cycle assessment, the environmental impacts of ECONYL^® yarn production are relatively low. Specifically, for the production of 1kg of ECONYL^® yarns on beams, some impact categories are as follows:

• Global Warming Potential: 3.27 kg CO₂ eq
• Acidification Potentials: 13 g SO₂ eq
• Eutrophication Potentials: 4 g PO₄ eq

For example, the global warming potential of ECONYL^® yarn is only about 10% of virgin nylon. (A study showed that virgin nylon has a GWP of about 31 kg CO₂ eq.) 

ECONYL^® Regeneration System Produces Yarns Of the Same Quality As Virgin Nylon 6 

According to Aquafil’s life-cycle assessment, ECONYL^® yarn regenerated in their system has the same performance characteristics as virgin nylon.

Where Are ECONYL^® Fabrics Usually Manufactured

Aquafil plants that manufacture ECONYL^® are located in various countries, including:

• Slovenia 
• Croatia 
• Italy 
• Germany 
• The UK
• The US 
• China 
• Thailand 

According to Our World in Data, the shares of renewable energy in primary energy in major recycled-nylon-producing nations vary significantly among these countries, with Croatia having the highest percentage.

• Slovenia: 18.77% renewable energy
• Croatia: 28.27% renewable energy 
• Italy: 18.36% renewable energy
• Germany: 19.45% renewable energy
• The UK: 17.95% renewable energy
• The US: 10.66% renewable energy
• China: 14.95% renewable energy
• Thailand: 7.11% renewable energy

Renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass) would significantly reduce carbon emissions at this manufacturing stage.

How Sustainable Is the Transportation of ECONYL^® Fabrics

Transporting can be a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of items made with ECONYL^® fabrics because of the emissions associated with transporting and delivering vehicles. Nylon waste materials typically travel from various locations to collection hubs, processing factories, sorting centers, shops, and consumer’s houses before going to recycling centers or landfills.

In the life-cycle of recycled ECONYL^® clothes and household items, transportation typically occurs as below:

• From places where nylon waste materials are collected, including factories or warehouses (for pre-consumer waste) and donation centers or special containers for used garments (for post-consumer waste), to the nylon fiber manufacturing locations
• From the recycled nylon fibers and fabrics manufacturing location to the clothing manufacturing location 
• From the clothing manufacturing location to sorting centers/physical shops 
• From sorting centers/physical shops to the consumer’s house 
• From the consumer’s house to the centers for recycling/ disposing of

Traveling Distances of ECONYL^® Fabrics Vary Depending on the Supply Chain

The supply chain of ECONYL^® fabrics is spreading across the globe, meaning that the original point of collection, fiber reprocessing, clothing manufacturing, and finishing might happen in various towns, countries, or even continents. 

Here are some scenarios for transporting ECONYL^® fabrics: 

• Plastic waste is collected from factories in Pakistan, transported to a pretreatment factory in China, then sent to another factory in Slovenia to be processed into ECONYL^® yarn. Clothes manufacturers in the US buy ECONYL^® yarn to make garments and sell them in North America. 
• Used plastic items are collected in Canada and the US and sent to Thailand for pretreatment processing. Nylon pellets are then sent to Croatia for ECONYL^® yarn manufacturing. ECONYL^® yarn is transported back to Asia to be turned into clothing before being shipped worldwide to sell to consumers. 

You can reduce the transporting carbon footprint by choosing ECONYL^® fabrics that travel shorter distances.

The Carbon Footprint of Transporting ECONYL^® Fabrics Depends Largely on the Vehicle of Transportation 

During its life-cycle, a piece of ECONYL^® clothing can be transported using various types of vehicles, including:

• Large container ships 
• Planes 
• Freight trains 
• Long-distance trucks 
• Short-distance delivering vans 

And these various types of transportation vehicles have different carbon footprint impacts: 

• Large container ships are generally the most carbon-efficient option for international transportation of goods, while planes are the heaviest carbon emitter.
  Large container ships emit, per unit of weight and distance, half as much carbon dioxide as a train and one-fifth and one-fiftieth as much as a truck and a plane (respectively).
• Deliveries made by planes – for example, to fulfill fast shipping options for clothing – are the mode of transportation with the highest carbon footprint. 

For example, as a consumer, you can choose not to pick the fast delivery option when ordering nylon clothing items and accessories to reduce the carbon footprint of your order. 

How Sustainable Is the Usage of ECONYL^® Fabrics

The usage of ECONYL^® fabrics is generally considered unsustainable because washing nylon clothes during the usage phase contributes to the increasingly serious problem of microplastic presence in marine environments. However, energy usage for washing, drying, and ironing nylon fabrics could be relatively low. 

A major sustainability issue with using nylon fabrics, ECONYL^® fabrics included, is the microplastics released into the environment due to washing the material. 

Plastic-based textiles, including nylon, polyester, acrylic, and others, are responsible for around half a million tons of plastic microfibers shed into the oceans annually as these fabrics are washed. At sea or in other water bodies, these microplastics cause harm to fishes that ingest them and numerous animals (including us humans) further up the food chain. 

However, nylon fabrics generally have low absorbency. Thus, clothes made with ECONYL^® tend to dry fast and tend not to require ironing, saving energy during usage. Ironing, washing, and drying (the usage phase) accounts for a high share of energy consumption in the life cycle of clothing. 

As a consumer, you can reduce the environmental impact of your usage by maximizing the number of wears between washes, avoid unnecessary hot washes or machining drying. Also, the longer you use a piece of clothing, the lesser the environmental impact of each wear. 

How Sustainable Is the End-of-Life of ECONYL^® Fabrics

The end-of-life stage for ECONYL^® fabrics is not sustainable because this fossil-based material is not biodegradable. However, ECONYL^® is recyclable unlimitedly within Aquafil’s Regeneration System. 

Traditional fossil-based nylon is not biodegradable, whether it is virgin or recycled. This material still takes at least decades to decompose in natural environments. 

In comparison, natural fibers such as wool or cotton are fully biodegradable. For example, cotton typically takes 11 weeks to decompose.

However, ECONYL^® is recyclable and can be remade infinitely within Aquafil’s Regeneration System. The recycled ECONYL^® yarn retains its original quality. 

How Circular Are Products Made of ECONYL^® Fabrics

In the textile industry, a circular economy is designed to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, especially through reusing and recycling. It also covers regenerating natural systems that support the industry and reducing polluted waste released into such systems.

“The circular economy is a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.”

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

As a whole, the textile industry is almost linear: 97% of the input are new resource.

Recycling post-consumer nylon fabrics is a complicated and expensive process. Breaking down nylon fabrics into constituent fibers requires a lot of energy, leading to many companies using virgin nylon or plastic bottles instead of recycling discarded fabrics. 

Additionally, nylon melts at low temperatures, meaning some contaminants – non-recyclable materials and microbes or bacteria – can survive, hindering the recycling process. 

However, ECONYL^® yarn can be recycled infinite times within Aquafil’s Regeneration System, making it a prime example of circularity in synthetic textiles. 

How Can You Buy ECONYL^® Fabrics More Sustainably

Certifications available with ECONYL^® yarn are as follows: 

• Recycled Claim Standard (RCS): The Textile Exchange RCS was originally developed as an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled input and chain of custody. 
• The Global Recycled Standard (GRS): The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary, full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled Content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. It can be used for any product with more than 20% recycled material. 
• OEKO-TEX® Standard 100: OEKO-TEX® labels aim to ensure that products pose no risk to human health (i.e. containing banned chemicals). 
• Cradle2Cradle certification: Cradle2Cradle provides a standardized approach to material circularity. It assesses whether products have been suitably designed and made with the circular economy in mind covering five critical categories: material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.

Though ECONYL^® yarn is generally sustainable, it can be used in blends with other fibers to create fabrics. Thus, when buying clothes made with ECONYL^® blends, you still want to check if the clothes manufacturers have (some of) these key environmental and original certifications: 

• STeP by OEKO-TEX^®: STeP by OEKO-TEX^® is an independent certification system for brands, retailers, and manufacturers from the textile and leather industry. It communicates organizational environmental measures, including reducing carbon footprint and water usage.
• B Corp Certification: The label B Corp is a certification reserved for for-profit companies. Certified holders are assessed on their social and environmental impacts. 

Where to Buy Sustainable ECONYL^® Fabrics 

We have established throughout the life-cycle assessment that ECONYL^® fabrics are generally sustainable, mainly thanks to the highly sustainable sourcing stage. Regardless we’ve put together a list of brands using ECONYL^® fabrics. This list is in alphabetical order. 

• allSisters 
• Finisterre
• Mara Hoffman
• Elle Evans
• Girlfriend Collective
• Outerknown
• Repainted
• Stella McCartney

Why Is It Important to Buy Products Made of More Sustainable Fabrics

It is important to buy products made of more sustainable fabrics because a sustainable textile industry has a lower carbon footprint, helps save natural resources, and is better for forests, animals, and humans. 

Buying Sustainable Fabrics Reduces Your Carbon Footprint 

The production of clothing and footwear is estimated to contribute 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than all international flights and shipping combined. If the fashion industry were a country, it would be the fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide. 

One way to reduce the carbon footprint of the clothes you buy is to opt for sustainable fabrics. Sustainable fabrics, which are often made with natural or recycled fibers, have relatively low carbon footprints compared to petroleum-based fabrics. For example, organic cotton made in the US has a carbon footprint of 2.35 kg CO₂ (per ton of spun fiber) – a quarter of nylon’s carbon footprint.

Buying Sustainable Fabrics Reduces the Demand For Natural Resources and Waste Management

The textile industry uses water and land to grow cotton and other fibers. It is estimated that 79 billion cubic meters of water were used for the sector worldwide in 2015. For example, producing a single cotton t-shirt requires as much water as one person drinks for 2.5 years (2,700 liters of fresh water).

Worse yet, the textile economy is vastly more linear than circular: the largest amount of resources used in clothes ended up in landfill (instead of being recycled to remake clothes). According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation,

• Less than 3% of materials used in the textile economy in 2015 came from recycled sources.
• In other words, more than 97% of resources used in making clothes are extracted new. 

When clothing items are disposed of within a short period of time – under a year in the case of half of the fast fashion clothes – the natural systems that provide raw materials for fabrics don’t have enough time to recover and regenerate, which could lead to ecological breakdown. 

Sustainable fabrics are made with less water and emissions while lasting longer:

• Because they are durable, you don’t need to buy new clothes too often. 
• Thus, you help reduce the pressure to extract more resources for making new items. 

Similarly, making and consuming sustainable fabrics made with recycled materials reduces the demand for virgin materials while helping tackle waste management. 

Buying Sustainable Fabrics Encourages the Sustainable Management of Forests

Sustainable plant-based fabrics are made with raw materials from forests and plantations that are sustainably managed, such as complying with FSC standards. 

When you buy sustainable plant-based fabrics, you discourage unsustainable forestry practices like illegal logging. You can help reduce deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the effect of climate change. 

Buying Sustainable Fabrics Encourages Fairer Treatment of Animals 

The fashion industry is rife with animal mistreatment when it comes to making animal-based fabrics like cashmere or leather. Every year, billions of animals suffer and die for clothing and accessories.

Buying sustainable vegan alternatives can help to reduce the pressure on raising more and more animals to meet the demand for animal-based fabrics while sacrificing their well-being and lives. 

Suppose you have to buy fabrics made with, for example, leather or wool; make sure you only choose brands committed to cruelty-free products. In that case, you help advocate better treatments for animals raised within the textile industry. 

Using Sustainable Fabrics Encourages Fairer Treatment of Textile Workers 

Recent statistics from UNICEF estimated as many as 170 million child labors worldwide, many of whom were engaged in some form of work in the textile industry. They don’t get paid minimum wages and often work long hours. 

When you buy sustainable fabrics from brands transparent about the working conditions at their factories, you discourage the use of child labor and help promote better working conditions for textile workers.

Final Thoughts

ECONYL^® fabrics are generally sustainable recycled nylon material. It helps reduce plastic waste while sidestepping fossil fuels as a raw material. However, the end products still have the same usage and end-of-life challenges as virgin nylon. 

Thus, to make using ECONYL^® fabrics even more sustainable:

1. Opt for ECONYL^® fabrics if your clothing items don’t require regular washing. 
2. Buy second-hand when possible.
3. While using ECONYL^® products, maximize the number of wear between washes, and keep the items as long as possible.
4. At the end of ECONYL^® products, upcycle the material to extend its usage and arrange for them to be recycled. 

Stay impactful,

Sources

• Impactful Ninja: How Sustainable Are Nylon Fabrics? A Life-Cycle Analysis
• Science Direct: Life-cycle assessment (LCA)
• MIT SMR: Strategic Sustainability Uses of Life-Cycle Analysis
• European Environment Agency: Cradle-to-Grave
• Science Direct: Cradle-to-Gate Assessment 
• RTP Company: Nylon (PA) – Polyamide 6
• Aquafil: ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION for ECONYL® NYLON TEXTILE FILAMENT YARNS 
• ENERGY: Fossil | Department of Energy
• Stanford: When Fossil Fuels Run Out, What Then?
• Econyl ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES: Let’s make every project green – inside and out. 
• THE CONVERSATION: Meet N2O, the greenhouse gas 300 times worse than CO₂
• Econyl: AQUAFIL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021
• WORLD WILDLIFE FUND: OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT: OVERVIEW
• Our World In Data: Plastic Pollution
• United Nations Environment Programme: FROM POLLUTION TO SOLUTION | A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF MARINE LITTER AND PLASTIC POLLUTION
• Yarns and Fibers: Where is recycled nylon produced?
• Publications Office of the European Union: Environmental improvement potential of textiles (IMPRO Textiles)
• The World in Data: Renewable Energy
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Renewable Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Solar Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Wind Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Hydropower Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Geothermal Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Biomass Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Time for Change: CO₂ emissions for shipping of goods
• Impactful Ninja: How Sustainable Are Polyester Fabrics? A Life-Cycle Analysis
• Impactful Ninja: How Sustainable Are Acrylic Fabrics? A Life-Cycle Analysis
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future
• Sustainably Chic: Nylon: How Sustainable Is It? (& A List Of Alternatives To Choose Instead)
• Springer Link: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | Statistical analysis of use-phase energy consumption of textile products
• Cottonique: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR FABRICS TO DECOMPOSE?
• Impactful Ninja: How Sustainable Are Wool Fabrics? A Life-Cycle Analysis
• Impactful Ninja: How Sustainable Are Cotton Fabrics? All You Need to Know
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN DETAIL
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: A New Textiles Economy
• The Guardian: Recycling nylon is good for the planet – so why don’t more companies do it?
• Textile Exchange: The RCS and GRS are designed to boost the use of recycled materials.
• OEKO-TEX®: OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
• C2CCertified: Home
• OEKO-TEX: Certification according to STeP by OEKO-TEX®
• B Corp Certification: Home
• allSisters 
• Finisterre
• Mara Hoffman
• Elle Evans
• Girlfriend Collective
• Outerknown
• Repainted
• Stella McCartney
• The Guardian: Pulp fabric: everything you need to know about lyocell 
• European Parliament: The impact of textile production and waste on the environment (infographic)
• Science Direct: The challenge of “Depeche Mode” in the fashion industry – Does the industry have the capacity to become sustainable through circular economic principles, a scoping review
• Science Direct: Carbon Footprint of Textile and Clothing Products
• European Parliament: Environmental impact of the textile and clothing industry 
• European Parliament: What if fashion were good for the planet? 
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future
• McKinsey: Style that’s sustainable: A new fast-fashion formula
• Our World in Data: Deforestation and Forest Loss
• Peta: Animals Used For Clothing