Nylon: How Sustainable Is It? (& a list of alternatives to choose instead)

Image: Swedish Stockings
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Is Nylon Sustainable?

Nylon is a synthetic fabric that was discovered only several decades ago. Since then, it has been widely used in many industries and it has had numerous commercial applications.

This fabric is commonly found in clothing because of its specific characteristics. However, this all comes with a very high environmental impact that we cannot ignore anymore.

Fortunately, some companies have been developing more sustainable alternatives to nylon. This is a big step in the right direction!

Here is an extensive guide on what nylon is, why it is detrimental to our environment, and what alternatives exist to replace it.

What is nylon?

Nylon (or polyamide) is a synthetic polymer, a type of plastic that was invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers, an American chemist working at the chemical manufacturing DuPont company.

The first commercial use of nylon was the nylon-bristled toothbrush created in 1938. However, the main invention that made nylon’s success was women’s stockings, back in 1940.

These quickly became a staple in women’s wardrobes and were considered a great replacement for silk in hosiery.

During World War II, nylon production was diverted to produce parachutes, fuel tanks, ropes, and other military equipment.

Nylon is now widely used in the fashion industry to make swimsuits, raincoats, tights, socks, and activewear. It represents around 12% of all synthetic fibers produced worldwide.

This material is also used in other industrial sectors such as automotive and aeronautics, as well as in the production of packaging and various household items.

How is nylon produced?

There are different types of nylons. But the most common one is called nylon 6,6 (because each of the two starting molecules has 6 carbon atoms).

To produce nylon 6,6, we need to combine two molecules we can find in petroleum: adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine.

These molecules are heated and once they reach a certain temperature and pressure, they fuse releasing water and creating a big polymer molecule. This process is called condensation polymerization.

The final polymer is nylon 6,6. Other types of nylon can be produced if we combine different starting molecules, but the process remains the same.

In the end, we are left with a long ribbon of nylon, which is then cut into small bits. Those nylon bits can later be molded into whatever item or clothing piece we want to produce.

For instance, to make clothes, the small nylon bits are melted, drawn through a spinneret, and loaded onto a spool. This creates nylon fibers that, after being stretched, are spun into a yarn we can use to create nylon clothes.

Why is nylon so popular?

Nylon has been widely popular in the production of a variety of household and clothing items for decades now. There are different reasons for that.

One of the main benefits of nylon is that it is strong and durable, which makes it more resistant to wear and tear.

Thanks to their low absorbency, nylon clothes dry faster than natural fabrics like cotton, and it doesn’t need ironing. It is also waterproof, which makes it suitable to produce raincoats or umbrellas.

Nylon is stretchy and elastic, so it's a great candidate material to create activewear.

This material also takes dye well, which is a bonus for the fashion industry.

All those characteristics of nylon offer a large spectrum of possibilities when it comes to its commercial applications. That’s why it is widely used these days!

Why you should not buy nylon

Despite these advantages, there are drawbacks to this material that we cannot ignore.

Nylon is very durable, so we might think that we should be able to wear nylon clothes for years without needing to discard them.

However, in the last decades, fashion manufacturers have been focusing more on profits and less on quality. This means that nylon clothes are often very cheaply made.

For instance, it is frequent to buy nylon tights and get runs in them after only one use. This contributes to the global waste problem we have on our planet.

The main issue with that is that this material is not biodegradable: it cannot be naturally broken down by microorganisms and in a way that is not harmful to the environment.

Scientists estimate that nylon takes between 30 and 40 years to decompose. During that time, wildlife risks eating nylon bits or getting trapped in nylon fishing nets, one of the biggest sources of ocean pollution.

We also have to mention the millions of microplastics shed by nylon clothing when washed in our washing machines, which end up in the oceans.

In total, nylon accounts for 10% of the debris in the oceans!

Another problem is that nylon is derived from petroleum, which is a non-renewable energy. Creating things out of nylon thus contributes to the depletion of Earth’s natural resources. Not to mention, the oil industry is one of the most destructive and polluting ones for our planet!

In addition to being a lot more energy-intensive than cotton production, producing nylon emits high carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide levels. The latter is a greenhouse gas that is 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide, contributing even more to global warming.

Nylon clothing is also heavily treated with harmful chemicals, synthetic dyes, and bleaching agents. They contribute to water pollution as they’re often released in water streams. These toxic chemicals are also linked to increased risks of skin allergies, immune system issues, and cancer.

To top it all, clothes made of nylon aren’t breathable. So wearing them, especially during a workout, creates a breeding ground for bacteria to grow as sweat is trapped against the skin. This is not ideal in terms of hygiene and could lead to skin issues!

How to reduce nylon’s negative impact

We saw why nylon clothes, as any item made of nylon, are detrimental to the environment. However, if you already own things in this material, the most eco-friendly thing you can do is to extend their life as much as possible.

It is important to take care of your nylon clothing so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill too soon, or worse, in the ocean, when it could have been avoided.

Always wash your nylon clothing at low temperatures with a gentle cycle. And remember to put them in a bag that will prevent microplastics from being released into the water. A Guppy Bag is great for that; I highly recommend it!

After you wash your nylon clothes, consider air-drying them if you can. Doing so will help them keep their best shape in the long run!

I also don’t think that it is necessary to iron nylon clothing. They don’t wrinkle easily, and the fabric risks melting with the heat.

sustainable alternatives to nylon

If you’re on the lookout for a new piece of clothing, think twice about picking something made of nylon. The fabric has some positive characteristics, but I find that its footprint on the environment far outweighs them.

The best thing you can do is to choose a natural fabric, like linen or hemp. But at times, synthetic materials are more suitable for what we’re looking for. For instance, you might find activewear or swimsuits to be more practical when made of synthetic fiber.

When that is the case, consider picking a more eco-friendly version of nylon.

1. Recycled Nylon

A great alternative to nylon is recycled nylon!

Since we are reusing used nylon and turning it into new material, we are reducing our demand for new nylon to be produced. This reduces our need for more oil to be extracted from the Earth.

As it is often created from old fishing nets that are abandoned in the ocean, choosing recycled nylon also means that we are diverting existing nylon from going to the ocean or landfills. It reduces the overall footprint of the “new” item.

The main downside, however, is that recycled nylon is still plastic, so it’s not biodegradable. This means that microplastics are still being released in water streams, ending in our oceans. That’s why you need to take proper care of recycled nylon and use a Guppy Bag when washing it.

There are several types of recycled nylon, depending on how they are made, including the following two.

Econyl

Econyl is a 100% recycled and recyclable fiber and is the most common type of recycled nylon we can find. It is made from pre-consumer (fabric scraps) and post-consumer waste (fishing nets, old carpets...). Econyl received certification from Oeko-Tex Standard 100. It guarantees that the material does not contain any harmful products to our health.

Many sustainable brands use Econyl to create recycled nylon clothing, including Patagonia & Peony (pictured here).

Ecorib

EcoRib is a stretch-ribbed fabric made from nylon fiber scraps.

It is lightweight and breathable.

The brand Vitamin A creates a variety of swimsuits in EcoRib as well as in EcoLux material, another type of recycled nylon.

Since most swimsuits are made from synthetic materials, EcoRib is a more sustainable option to try next time you need new swimwear!

Also, when thinking of the word nylon, stockings may first come to mind. There are two great brands making tights out of recycled nylon: Swedish Stockings & Organic Basics

2. Biodegradable Nylon

Another more sustainable alternative to nylon is biodegradable nylon.

The main benefit of biodegradable nylon is that, unlike recycled nylon, it decomposes naturally under certain environmental conditions. So it doesn’t stay in nature for decades or hundreds of years.

There are two types of biodegradable nylon: bio-nylon and biodegradable synthetic nylon.

Bio-nylon

Bio-nylon is the most common one.

It is a material that is made from plant-based renewable ingredients, such as sugarcane or cornstarch.

As bio-nylon is made from plants, there is no plastic in the final product. So there is no risk to shed microplastics in water streams.

Producing bio-nylon also doesn’t contribute to increasing the demand for crude oil. And as mentioned above, it’s biodegradable under the right environmental conditions.

A great example of a bio-nylon is EVO by the company Fulgar. This fabric is derived from castor oil, a renewable resource that isn’t very water-intensive.

EVO fabric is lighter than most synthetic materials and has a high elasticity. It also dries twice as quickly as conventional nylon and is thermo-insulated.

Another plant-based nylon is BioSculpt fabric. It is produced with plant-based fiber created from castor beans. Again, the brand Vitamin A (pictured above) creates some of its swimsuits in BioSculpt material.

image from Bold Swimwear at Made Trade — Image: Bold Swimwear at Made Trade

Biodegradable synthetic nylon: Amni Soul Eco

Amni Soul Eco fabric is a polyamide, a synthetic material like nylon. But the surprising thing is that it’s biodegradable!

This fabric biodegrades in 5 years when disposed of in a landfill, which is about 10 times quicker than most other synthetic materials. It is breathable, recyclable and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified.

However, a big downside to the Amni Soul Eco fabric is that, since it is polyamide, it is made from crude oil. And the problem of shedding microplastics in water streams while washing it remains, so it can be a threat to the environment.

But it’s still a more eco-friendly alternative to conventional nylon!

Conclusion

While nylon has certain characteristics that make it more suitable for specific purposes, we cannot ignore the negative impacts its widespread use has on the Earth and ecosystems.

It is important to choose more sustainable materials and create a demand for alternative fabrics to help save our planet.

Supporting businesses and brands that are paving the way towards a more sustainable fashion industry is key in making a difference!

Meet the Author:

Eva Astoul is a French freelance writer, specializing in content related to sustainability, simple living, and a growth-focused healthy lifestyle.

She runs her own blog, Green With Less, to inspire people to live a more minimalist and sustainable life.

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The Best Eco-Friendly, Sustainable & Organic Beach Towels

It’s about that time when we start thinking about sunny beach trips and packing our bags for some much-needed ocean time. While I’ve always been one to grab a towel out of our bathroom, it is nice to have a designated beach towel you can lay out comfortably on. This list has brands committed to better materials and ethical production - and make super cute beach towels that dry quickly and pack easy!

Why Choose an Organic Cotton Beach Towel

Whenever you are venturing out into nature, it’s always important to take care of your surroundings, so why not think about the things you purchase for your outdoor lifestyle?

Besides organic cotton being ultra-absorbent and cozy for Long Beach days, it is also grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Organic cotton crops can be sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) natural proteins to protect them from insect infestation and crop destruction, but not with the cocktail of toxic chemicals often sprayed over conventional cotton crops. This not only helps to protect farmers, but the environment, too. Eutrophication occurs when water is overly enriched with nutrients, often due to fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, which can result in dead-zones in water, where life struggles to persist.

However, not all organic cotton is created equal - while still a better choice than conventional - you can learn more about the issues regarding the fabric here. Also, make sure to look out for GOTS Certified or OEKO-TEX® certified when shopping organic cotton products.

Other Sustainable Fabrics for Beach Towels

If you are looking for more of a performance beach towel - particularly one that can shake off sand easily - then towels made from recycled plastic would be better suited for you and your needs. We have two brands listed in this post that offer microfiber towels, which are very absorbent and do not attract sticking sand. However, microplastics are always an issue with microfiber fabrics, so make sure to use a Guppy Bag when washing them to avoid microplastics from entering our waterways.

Our Top Picks for Sustainable Beach Towels:

1) Coyuchi

Price | $98-108

Material | Organic Cotton

An excellent choice for a Turkish towel, Coyuchi’s flatweave Mediterranean set features a beach towel size in five different colors.

They are woven from yarn-dyed organic cotton and come with the signature hand-knotted fringe.

The cotton is grown and woven in the Aegean region of Turkey, and it is GOTS (a great certification) + Made Safe Certified.

Shop Coyuchi

2) West Elm

Price | $35-80

Material | Organic Cotton

I am loving the Pool Scene beach towel pictured here. Too cute! West Elm always has something fun to add to these lists, and their prices can (sometimes) be a bit more affordable.

Their organic cotton is GOTS certified, and they have Turkish-style towels as well as Terry depending on your preference. While I love supporting smaller brands more, this is still a good option.

Shop West Elm

3) Minna

Price | $98

Material | Cotton

I’ve always thought this brand made such beautiful textiles! MINNA uses traditional craft techniques to produce ethical goods with a contemporary aesthetic.

For example, their new colorful beach towels are handwoven in partnership with weavers in Nahualá, Guatemala - and the cotton used in their products is colored with natural dyes or toxin-free synthetic dyes!

Shop Minna

4) Pottery Barn

Price | $30-50

Material | Organic Cotton

Another popular organic cotton beach towel, Pottery Barn is known for its classic stripes and customizable options. The awning-stripe design lets you choose your color, and the monogram option offers a personal touch. It’s that perfect timeless, preppy poolside vibe!

Their organic cotton is also OEKO-TEX & GOTS Certified. We also linked up their ‘sustainably sourced’ towels for easy shopping.

Shop Pottery Barn

5) Hilana

Price | $40-55

Material | Upcycled Cotton

This is a unique towel because it uses 50% of its threads with regenerated cotton making it a more low-waste product. They are traditional flat-woven Turkish peshtemal and crafted by artisans in Turkey. Hilana is a B Corp Certified company creating sustainably made towels, throws, shawls, tablecloths & bathrobes that are soft & absorbent.

use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC for $20 off your first order of $150+ at madetrade.com

Shop Hilana

6) Sunrise Bliss

Price |$28-38

Material | Organic Cotton

The perfect hair towel…

Each towel is made from GOTS Certified Organic Cotton with low impact dyes and washes very well. It's a very soft, t-shirt-type fabric with excellent stretch retention. Plus, they are made right in the US (New York) and come in various cute colors and prints! I've used these towels for my hair for years - always right after I wash it or after swimming in the ocean or pool. They are a must-have for my long, wet hair!!

Shop Sunrise Bliss

7) QuiQuattro

Price | $40-$85

Material | Authentic Turkish Cotton

All of the towels from this Ohio-based, woman-owned business are made be women artisans in Turkey (right where the cotton is grown and harvested!). I love how these lightweight towels can actually double as a beach or bath towel… or even a picnic blanket! They’re available in a variety of different colors, patterns, and designs—whether you’re looking for something fun and colorful or something more neutral and timeless. This is an especially great option for travel, since these towels won’t take up a ton of space in your suitcase!

Shop Quiquattro

8) Affina

Price | $59.95

Material | Organic Cotton

Inspired by our coral reefs, Affina's Seaweaves™ colorful beach towel collection is woven from natural brain coral and sea fan patterns.

These luxuriously oversized towels are made from 100% organic cotton using low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes and are Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex® and GOTS certified.

Shop Affina

9) Weezie

Price | $78+

Material | Organic Cotton

These luxurious, oversized beach towels are plush, and the cotton is cut close to avoid picking up extra sand when sitting at the beach.

They are made in Portugal with 100% organic long-staple cotton, and are hypoallergenic, low linting and OEKO-TEX® certified.

You can also monogram or have a personalized embroidery on these towels!

Shop Weezie

10) Finisterre

Price | $75+

Material | Organic Cotton

A little different than your classic beach towel, Finisterre offers a range of toweling changing robes, perfect for drying off after your adventure.

Their Vean Changing Robe is made from super-soft GOTS Certified organic cotton toweling fabric. This robe is perfect for any beach-goer, swimmer, and surfer who doesn’t want a towel malfunctioning and can instantly throw this on over their swimsuit and change.

Shop Finisterre

11) Delilah Home

Price | $40

Material | Organic Cotton

These soft beach and pool towels are European-crafted and made of 100% GOTS-certified organic Turkish cotton. The extra-long loops make the towels highly absorbent, soft, and up to 50% thicker than most other towels.

Plus, they’re responsibly made in a family-run factory in Portugal using state-of-the-art machinery and higher than Fair Trade wages.

Shop Delilah Home

12) Sand Cloud

Price | $48-70

Material | Organic Cotton

If you are looking for some extra-large beach towels, this is your place!

Sand Cloud creates sand-resistant towels that dry 3xs faster than a conventional cotton beach towel. They have lots of fun prints and colors, too.

When you purchase one of their towels, you help preserve our marine life, with 10% of their profits going towards marine conservation.

Shop Sand Cloud

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Sustainable Fashion & Trends

Trends have been around for as long as fashion has, and every period had its must-haves. So much so that with enough fashion history knowledge, one can date an item of clothing or even a portrait.

Before the French revolution, wealthy French fashionistas wore the robe à l'anglaise rather than the outdated robe à la française, just like the decade's fashion icon, Queen Marie Antoinette.

Unlike it once was, though, nowadays, fashion is mass-produced and has a massive impact on the environment.

According to the charity Wrap, worldwide, clothing production has about doubled between 2000 and 2015. As clothing production numbers went up, clothing utilization numbers went down. The average number of times a garment is worn before its product lifetime ends has decreased worldwide by 36% compared to the early 2000s.

The rapid-fire trend cycle and countless micro-trends are some of the symptoms of the unsustainable nature of fast fashion. On the other end, though, experimenting with trends can be fun and a way to figure out ourselves and our style.

But is it possible to engage with them sustainably? With a mindful attitude, we think it is.

What are micro-trends, and how do you identify them?

First, how can you understand if trends are behind your sudden liking for a cut, style, pattern, or garment? Let's take a step back and talk about micro-trends.

These are fashion trends often born from social media platforms like TikTok, and despite their sudden popularity, they tend to have a pretty short shelf-life. They may go from being all over your feed one season to being completely forgotten about the next one. For example, take the cottagecore trend of spring 2020 or the post-Bridgerton corset craze of spring 2021. These micro-trends were everywhere back then, but they had faded away or arguably paved the way for new and similar micro-trends by the following season.

You aren't wrong if you think that micro-trends sound somewhat antithetical to mindful consumption. The increase in the trend cycle's speed is deeply connected to the rise of fast fashion.

Yet, while on their own, individuals can't change the pace and policies of the entire fashion industry, we can decide how we want to engage with it to at least a certain level.

So now, here is our guide on how to engage with trends sustainably

Asking yourself the right questions is key to finding your personal style and shopping more sustainably. Planning is a great tool to avoid unsuccessful purchases and still enjoy fashion while living mindfully.

So before you decide to purchase something new and trendy, ask yourself these questions and see what your answers are. Then, let's find out whether or not you and that trendy piece you have been eyeing are a match made in heaven!

Does this trend go well with the items you already have?

Your personal style is that mix of aesthetics and fashion categories that perfectly suits your lifestyle and personality.

For some, finding theirs is a lifelong journey, and for others, it just emerged organically. But, whether you found yours or not, the clothes that are already in your closet are the best clues you have on hand to figure out if a specific piece suits you and your life.

Look at your clothes' fabric, style, and colors; how many pieces could you pair with this potential new item? For a more precise overview, you can even start planning some outfits assembled using the item you want to purchase and the ones you already own. It's a fun, creative activity that will save you lots of time when getting ready in the morning (which is always a plus) and a great indicator, too: if you get excited about the prospect of wearing those outfits, it's a great sign that you are about to make a smart purchase!

Also, don't forget to compare these trendy pieces you have been eyeing with your most-worn clothing items. Like most people's wardrobes, yours most likely follows a pattern. Even if you don't think your style has a distinctive aesthetic, there are probably certain elements and items you tend to gravitate towards for an array of possible reasons.

But let's get practical! If you are an athleisure fan who consistently gets the most use of your joggers and sports bra, dipping your toes in balletcore won't be a bad idea. Based on what we have seen on the runways, skirt suits and three-piece suits seem to be some of the biggest upcoming trends for Fall 2022: if you have a formal office job or enjoy suiting up in your spare time, this trend definitely suits (pun intended) your lifestyle.

Can you get these trendy pieces ethically and sustainably?

Fast-fashion retailers offer tons of readily available trendy pieces, but that doesn't mean you can't get fun, contemporary clothes the slow and sustainable way. Of course, the best destination for you depends on your budget, location, and level of expertise with the sewing machine.

Depending on those factors, you can purchase your new trendy clothes from ethical and sustainable companies, specialized artisans locally or online, or vintage shops or thrift stores. If you are familiar with sewing, you can even alter your old clothes to make them trendier. You can find plenty of upcycling inspiration and tutorials on social media to do so. Plus, it's a beautiful way to give a second life to the old clothes you no longer wear.

If you take the thrifting route, be mindful of not falling prey to the siren of overconsumption. It may be tempting to buy loads of pieces when they are cheap, but let's remember that lower-end thrift stores offer clothes to low-income communities and individuals that may not be able to afford to shop for clothes elsewhere. If you have a bigger budget, be mindful of the amount of thrifted garments you buy, or take this as an opportunity to give your business to higher-end thrift stores or vintage shops.

Also, when it comes to buying clothes and accessories (or anything else), support BIPOC-owned businesses whenever possible.

Will you wear these items when they are no longer on-trend?

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but one has to consider that not all trends are particularly wearable or that timeless either. If they genuinely suit you, your personal style, and your lifestyle, you'll love them regardless of whether they are trending or not. Still, if you give in and buy a trendy piece just because you see it all over social media and fashion magazines, it may feel outdated too soon.

Of course, above all, fashion should be fun and make us feel like ourselves, so by no means do you have to strictly choose timeless pieces if you naturally gravitate towards the more eclectic, bold styles that tend to get in and out of fashion quickly. From a sustainability perspective, though, it's good to think ahead and genuinely ask yourself if you think you'll wear that piece in one or more years. Clothes that make us feel like ourselves tend to stay in our closets for longer and get much more love and care than those of people from back in the day.

An excellent way to tell if you actually like a trendy piece or not is to wait. After all, if Rome wasn't built in a day, your wardrobe doesn't have to be either. Save the item you'd like to buy on a wishlist and forget about it for a month or more. Thinking twice before purchasing anything new may be second nature to many, but waiting may seem counterintuitive if you have been on a fast fashion diet for years or tend to shop to boost your mood.

But, as unfashionable as it may sound, patience and intentionality are essential to sustainably building a wardrobe that works for you. By taking your sweet time, you'll avoid impulse buying and give yourself the time to see if you think that piece still looks lovely even when it's out of fashion. If that's the case, you and that piece are most likely a fantastic match!

Can you participate in this trend without buying anything new?

Fashion is cyclical and no style, cut, or color will forever be either in or out of fashion. That's why you may find trendy pieces in your closet or your loved ones'. This way of participating in a trend may be a great occasion to fall back in love with older pieces from your wardrobe and to re-wear clothes that you haven't sported in a long time.

This is not only a budget-friendly way of engaging with a fashion trend but also a sustainable one. After all, the most sustainable clothing items are the ones you already own.

Conclusion

Having fun with fashion and trends while still trying to make environmentally and socially sound choices doesn't have to be a conundrum. With enough patience and planning, you can, by all means, have the cake and eat it too.

About the Author:

Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist specialized in climate change and sustainability-related topics. Her articles have been published in several international eco-publications. Roberta also works as a content writer for sustainable companies.

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What is Zero-Waste Fashion?

Textile waste is a huge problem in the fashion industry. The Council for Textile Recycling claims that more than 70 pounds of textiles per US citizen are going into landfills annually. The amount of clothes we waste is largely due to the rapid increase in the number of clothes being produced over the last few decades. Fashion Revolution claims textile waste is only getting worse and is estimated to increase by about 60% between 2015 and 2030, with an additional 57 million tons of waste generated annually. This would reach an annual total of 148 million tons.

Of the discarded clothes, only 15% is recycled or donated; the rest goes to landfill or is incinerated. Clothes with synthetic fibers can take hundreds of years to decompose. Textiles release methane gas during the decomposition process and leak toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.

As we become more aware of the impact the fashion industry is having on the environment, brands are looking for more ways to reduce their footprint and the amount of waste they produce. One such idea is zero-waste fashion; clothes that generate little or no textile waste in their production.

When does waste occur in the fashion industry?

Zero-waste promotes a more focused way of producing and living. Brands are adopting this approach to their manufacturing to eliminate textile waste in every aspect of production. They are deciding to reduce the environmental impact of their processes and products in ways that have genuine meaning and provoke real change.

Waste in the fashion industry can occur at several stages of production. When choosing a fabric to purchase from a supplier, brands are often sent several samples of small swatches of fabric, and these are often archived or thrown away after a collection is finished. Even the fabric choice itself can have a history of waste. For example, natural materials like organic cotton can involve waste, from how it’s grown, to the process of turning fibre into fabric.

Pattern cutting can be an area of development that involves a lot of waste. When pattern pieces are placed on the fabric to be cut out, this can leave ‘offcuts’ of fabric that are too small to be used and are often discarded. During the sewing process, there can be further waste like ‘overlocking’ offcuts and unwanted bits of thread.

There are also less obvious elements of waste that most brands create, such as office materials like paper, packaging that may not be made from recycled cardboard, and overstock. When a big brands produces a bulk amount of an item of clothing and some of them don’t sell, this is called overstock. These clothes can sit in warehouses for months and are often destroyed to make room for new stock.

How does a brand achieve zero waste?

While there are many ways that fashion creates waste, the good news is there are now many different methods a brand can adopt that will reduce the amount they create and even save more textile waste from landfill.

Zero-waste design is the practice of developing clothes that require little to no waste. A lot of the waste created by clothing brands can occur before production even begins. When designing garments, zero-waste brands consider how they can minimize excess fabric and how to create pattern designs that will make the most effective use of fabric. Designers should also factor in longevity when designing clothes, ensuring they will last as long as possible for the wearer.

Sample garments or ‘toiles’ are often made to check the garment functions, the number of these is different for each brand, but there could be anywhere from 2-10 (or even more if it’s high-end design) of these samples made before an item is signed off. 3-D printing and digital sampling are recent innovations that enables brands to see what garments will look like before production begins and make adjustments without the need of physical sample garments.

Many brands trying to achieve zero-waste status opt to use deadstock or leftover fabrics from other brands and use these to create their collections. This is a great way to make use of pre-existing textiles that otherwise would have been discarded. Zero-waste brands will use recycled and recyclable materials in their shipping and packaging, as well as in their office materials they use every day.

Upcycling is a method that’s fast becoming popular with zero-waste brands; turning an item of clothing into something new, saving the fabric and fastenings in the process. Made to order is another example of how a brand can achieve zero-waste. By only producing a specific number of clothes to meet actual orders they eliminate the issue of overstock and also creates a more valued item of clothing as the wearer knows it’s been made especially for them.

Fashion brands aiming to become zero-waste also have a responsibility to ensure their suppliers are using low waste production methods. This particularly applies to the fabric suppliers who should be ensuring the processes they use to create textiles create the least waste possible.

Considering the ‘end of life’ of clothes, some brands focus on closing the loop and offering customers the option to send their clothes back to the brand to be upcycled or recycled. For example, Patagonia’s Worn Wear program provides customers the chance to trade in their old Patagonia clothes for a credit ranging from $10-100 depending on the item of clothing.

our top picks for zero waste clothing brands:

1) Whimsy & Row

Whimsy + Row produces limited batches that are all handcrafted in Los Angeles. It has a waitlist feature on its website so that the company knows exactly much clothing it has to create. Not all of their clothing is made from deadstock, but we have linked up directly to their zero waste collection. The brand only uses locally sourced and eco-friendly materials, and recycles every scrap of deadstock fabric to turn it into new garments or accessories. Whimsy + Row is also carbon-neutral, and its pieces are made using recycled water as well as low-impact dyes.

Shop Whimsy & Row

2) Christy Dawn

Christy Dawn are committed to practices that honor Mother Earth, and believe that sustainability doesn’t go far enough, instead focussing on regenerative processes that heal the planet.

They repurpose deadstock fabrics and use construction methods that ensure their clothes are designed to last. A wide range of earth-toned dresses, bottoms and blouses are the ideal everyday wear that aligns with your ethics.

Shop Christy Dawn

3) ReCrafted by Patagonia

Patagonia is a favorite brand of ours here at Sustainably Chic, and we love the fact they have their own collection dedicated to zero waste fashion. Their ReCrafted line is created from thousands of used garments diverted from the landfill, sorted at their Reno Repair Center, designed by a team, and finally deconstructed and sewn in Los Angeles. Each product will be uniquely crafted and a rare fine for your closet!

Shop Patagonia

4) Bastet Noir

Another one of our favorite zero waste fashion brands, Bastet Noir, believes in consuming fashion responsibly, which is why they have created their ‘no waste policy’. Each clothing piece ordered is tailor-made to your measurements to avoid overproducing.

All of their clothing is made out of discarded materials and produced locally by a community of women single parents in North Macedonia.

Shop Bastet Noir

5) Tonlé

Pioneers in zero-waste fashion, Tonlé describe themselves as a ‘maker-led community’, valuing inclusivity, honesty and reciprocity.

They use a sustainable zero waste process to create their clothes, making use of reclaimed materials from other manufacturers.

Tonlé offers a beautiful range of clothing from dresses and jumpsuits to outerwear and accessories.

Shop Tonle

6) Anekdot

Anekdot is a German company that makes women’s lingerie and swimwear, using surplus fabrics left behind by the fashion industry. The brand sells a great range of lacy lingerie sets that are beautiful and well-made, featuring small decorative details. They are designed to follow your natural curves in a flattering way. The company is great at sourcing its materials locally and gets them from off-cuts, end-of-lines, production leftovers and vintage trimmings.

Shop Anekdot

7) Swedish Stockings

Hailed as the only sustainable hosiery brand in the world, Swedish Stockings create their pantyhose from both pre and post-consumer nylon waste. Traditional nylon production is very harmful to the environment, and Swedish Stocking ensures their processes conserve or reuse water, decrease carbon emissions and reduce and recycle waste. They also have a ‘recycling club’ program where customers can send in 3 or more pairs of synthetic pantyhose from any brand in exchange for a 10% discount on Swedish Stockings products.

Shop Swedish Stockings

8) ArmedAngels

Armed Angels’ ‘Circular Tee’ and ‘Circular Denim’ collections are the brand’s first exploration into circular fashion, ensuring all the resources involved in manufacturing are kept in a loop.

Customers can return their old Armed Angels t-shirt or denim via the ‘take-back system’ and they will be turned into new items.

Shop ArmedAngels

9) RE/DONE

RE/DONE are on a mission to create sustainable, mindful fashion and are the first luxury label to be born online and grown as an e-commerce brand.

They began with the concept of upcycling vintage Levi’s into modern fits and have since diverted over 145,000 garments from landfills, reconstructing them into luxury collectables.

Shop re/done

10) Pantee

A UK-based brand, Pantee’s bras and underwear are made from either deadstock t-shirts or deadstock t-shirt fabric (95% cotton for comfort, 5% elastane for stretch).

They also work closely with their manufacturers to ensure quality and ethical working standards.

Their underwear sets look very comfortable and come in many different styles and colors!

Shop Pantee

11) OhSevenDays

Based in Istanbul, Turkey, OhSevenDays is a mindfully made womenswear label creating sustainable staples from deadstock fabrics. If you like color and multi-functional garments, this brand is for you! The label was created after the founder Megan Mummery stumbled across a small district of Istanbul selling off-cut fabric rolls leftover from large garment manufacturers. Unfortunately, they were doomed for landfill, which sparked an idea to create a sustainable regenerative fashion line.

Shop OhSevenDays

12) Malaika

Malaika New York’s unique zero waste designs embrace the female body, focusing on comfort, versatility, and timelessness.

Their simple yet powerful designs can be styled in a variety of different ways.

Malaika is a great choice if you feel like trends are wasteful and are building a high-quality capsule collection.

Shop Malaika

13) Mud Jeans

This is a European jeans brand for men and women that you will want to know about: every pair of unwanted or worn-out MUD jeans returned to them is recycled into a new pair in a zero-waste system that uses 92 percent less water than the average pair of jeans. In addition, they encourage their customers to “lease” a pair of jeans with small monthly payments and give them the option to either keep or swap their jeans after 12 months. It’s a brilliant system that makes ethical clothing much more affordable.

Shop MUD Jeans

14) Passion Lilie

Passion Lillie carries cute dresses with fun designs that can easily be dressed up or down. The brand is a Fair Trade Federation member, meaning that everything is made by workers earning a fair wage in a safe environment. They use traditional block printing on organic cotton with eco-friendly, non-toxic dyes. With their leftover fabric, they create accessories like handbags and scrunchies, as well as home goods like pillowcases and napkins.

Shop Passion Lilie

About the Author

Sarah is a freelance writer with a focus on vegan fashion, sustainability and ethically made clothes. She campaigns for change in the fashion industry through her blog and on her Instagram page.

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How are Books Made?

Understanding the ecological impact of books starts with knowing how they’re made. The majority of books today are mass-produced on giant presses weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds. These presses are operated by employees, who help ensure quality as the printer moves through each stage of the process.

The biggest resource used in the printing of books is paper — which comes on giant spools before being loaded into the machine. It’s not just a little bit of paper used, either: 32 million trees are used to produce books in the United States. This reduction in trees accounts for nearly half of a book’s overall environmental impact. Ink, too, is an important ingredient in book printing, especially when it comes to printing color covers and books with images or illustrations. Many conventional inks lead to pollution of air, water, and soil, as do the compounds and solvents used in the process.

Once the book pages have been printed, they are then bound with large amounts of glue/ That glue may also be made with toxic chemicals, like hazardous air pollutants (HACs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some of which can be carcinogenic (among other dangers to human health).

Hardcover books have a cardboard cover attached, while paperback books use a heavier weight of paper. After the cover, books are then added to boxes where they are shipped to distributors via all forms of travel and sold to customers around the world.

While book printing innovation has come a long way from the hand-powered printing press, the massive machines today use a significant amount of energy, not to mention the resources used in the process.

The Environmental Impact of Books

Many people associate book production with deforestation—and that is a major cause for concern. But did you know that the paper production required in bookmaking is also a major contributor to water degradation? Paper mills have long been a source of water pollution, with chemicals and byproducts being released into the streams and rivers nearby. Water contamination isn’t only damaging not only for nearby ecosystems and animals, but also for people who live in the area.

Another aspect of the environmental impact of books: the waste they produce. The EPA states that books and other paper products, like newspapers, are recycled at a rate of around 50%. The other half of books may wind up either composted and made into other paper products, but millions of books wind up in the landfill each year. The saddest part about that is many of the books going to the landfill haven’t even been read.

So how do so many books end up going to waste? One of the major reasons is that the publishing industry has a practice of producing too many books that don’t wind up selling. If a book is anticipated to sell a certain number of copies, for example, a publisher might make those books ahead of time to meet the forecasted demand. And while it would be much more sustainable to print books on demand as they sell, the production and distribution would likely take too long to meet modern customer’s laser-fast delivery expectations.

So, when those extra books don’t wind up selling, retailers can find themselves with an excess amount of books and no place to put them. When that situation arises, shipping the books back to the publisher can incur too much additional cost on behalf of the retailer. So instead of giving them to someone who can use them, the covers are ripped off the books as proof they didn’t sell, and they’re either dumped to the garbage or sent through pulping—a manufacturing process which breaks down paper products to recycle them into new products. This recycling process is better than books being sent to the landfill; however, pulping, like paper production, requires a great deal of water and produces wastewater pollution.

Sustainable Steps in Publishing

Books can negatively impact the environment throughout their lifecycle. Fortunately, some publishers are taking steps to make book publishing more sustainable. For example, John Wiley & Sons uses 100% renewable energy and is carbon neutral certified, and MacMillan went fully carbon neutral in 2017. Harper Collins is using a significant amount of recycled paper, with a 2025 goal of using either all recycled or certified paper ( meaning the paper is certified as responsibly sourced by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®).

You may still wonder why major publishers don’t use all recycled material, or why it’s taking so long to adopt more sustainable practices. It’s because there are many barriers preventing publishing companies from being more green. For example, publishers have stated that recycled materials simply aren’t plentiful enough to use in mass book production, and that the cost to acquire them is too high.

That’s where organizations like the World Wildlife Foundation Forest Forward program can help. Forest Forward exists to help companies that produce paper products learn to reduce their environmental impact. Specifically, this consultancy teaches businesses how to meet their financial goals while also being more sustainable in the process, which negates the argument that sustainable steps are too costly.

Additionally, some organizations are helping authors have a greater say in how their books impact the earth. Tree to Me, created by the Society of Authors, offers free resources to help writers and authors request more sustainable steps from their publisher.

These are just a few examples of what major publishers are doing, and since 80% of all books in the US are created by these major publishers, their sustainability improvements go a long way.

How to Read More Sustainably

Despite the positive sustainability steps of major companies, there is still a great deal of work to be done. We may not have control over how many books publishers produce or what they do with unread books, but as with any consumer good, readers do have a lot of power in which industries and practices they support. How you choose to buy books, in what format, and from whom can make a major difference in reducing the impact of reading.

Audiobooks and eBooks

Switching to audiobooks and ebooks can reduce your personal impact when it comes to reading. The impact of audiobooks is much less than a physical book. While it still takes energy to store them and to charge the devices you use them on, you’re probably using those devices in other ways, anyway.

As for ebooks, It’s obvious that they also don’t use paper, but did you know that e-readers also take up less space when shipping? This reduces the CO2 impact of distribution, especially because they only have to be shipped to you once. E-readers, like other electronics, do emit carbon emissions in their production. But again, your ebook is only being created one time in exchange for many books.

The other truth: Many people just prefer holding a physical book. In that case, there are still ways to be more conscious about where you buy books and what organizations you support in the process.

Local and Used Bookstores

Local bookstores are a great place to find new and used books. Used books, in particular, are one of the best options for sustainable reading, because you’re not contributing to new trees being cut down or supporting industries that add CO2 to the atmosphere.

If you’re seeking a new book, buying from a small bookshop rather than Amazon or another chain retailer can have a positive effect on your local community. IndieBound, a website from the American Booksellers Association, has a search tool where you can find local bookstores near you.

You can also use Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and help them stay afloat as Amazon continues to edge out small shops. Bookshop also has curated lists put together by bookshops and organizations, so it can be a helpful place to find new books to read and discover underrepresented voices or stories you might not otherwise have known about.

Libraries and Library Cards

You’re no stranger to the library, but did you know that you can rent ebooks and audiobooks with your public library card, all without stepping foot inside the actual library?

Libby is an app that takes your library card information and allows you to browse books digitally. You can also add yourself to a waitlist for a popular book, or save books to your wishlist. This is perhaps the most low-impact way to read books, because you’re not contributing to the production of a physical book, and you’re only borrowing something that many other people will read.

Another way to get books from the library is from a library sale. Public libraries and their associated nonprofits often hold book sales seasonally to clean out their inventory and make room for new books. These books have been read multiple times, and you’re supporting your local library in the process. This is also a great way to find books from local authors.

Books are an essential element of human culture, and the stories they tell have the ability to unite us, help us, and heal us. Taking steps to make your own reading more sustainable can ensure that you enjoy these benefits while reducing the major environmental impact of books.

About the Author

Michelle Polizzi is an independent writer and storyteller with 7 years of experience creating content online. Her writing has appeared in leading publications like Bitch, WELL+GOOD, Insider, and Healthline, and she covers topics like sustainable living, mental health, and intersectional feminism. Currently, she's pursuing an MFA in creative writing.