Susta-Style by Bronte Hogarth
We know it can be difficult to understand exactly what sustainable fashion means, and the material your clothing is made from plays a BIG role in it’s environmental impact! It’s hard to know which sustainable materials to look out for. The Susta-Style 1MW Guide to Sustainable Fabrics series is looking at the most important sustainable fabrics in use today, and also the fabric innovations that lie ahead for the future.
Organic Linen is our sustainable fabric this week.
Organic Linen:
Organic linen refers to linen that is made from plant fibers as opposed to synthetic means, and also the fibres must be grown without the use of fertilisers or pesticides. Traditionally Linen was woven from the fibres of the flax plant, however today it could also be made from cotton or hemp.
Organic Linen production systems:
Linen from flax fibres is one of the most ecologically sound fabrics. The best part of the fibres are used by the Linen industry, but no part of the flax plant gets wasted. Other products of flax include oil, the seeds, straw and fibre which are used in everything from lino to soap, to cattle feed and paper.
Linen fabric can come anything from soft and almost silk like to a harsher sack linen.
- The Flax plant grows very fast, and is ready for harvest after only 100 days.
- The production of Linen fabric uses 5 to 20 times less water and energy that the production of conventional cotton or synthetic fabrics.
- 100% Linen is biodegradable and recyclable.
What to watch out for:
Australian company, ecoLinen uses organic cotton in their eco-friendly linen products. ecoLinen are the first linen company in Australia to be certified organic by SKAL International
Nowadays, there are plenty of products on the market made of “organic linen” or “eco-friendly linen”. While some of these products may be made from flax fibers, many of them are made from other fibers for example cotton or hemp, or sometimes even synthetics (which are not good for the environment).
Make sure you know what you are buying. For example If it’s linen fabric made from cotton, make sure it is organic cotton and try to stay away from synthetics. Read the labels carefully and say no if you are unsure about the product.
See last weeks Susta-Style post on Hemp.
Don’t forget to head over to our website! We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers getting on with practical climate action to live better for us and the planet. Join the movement at www.1millionwomen.com.au
- Susta-Style is a weekly post on sustainable fashion, shopping and design.
1 Million Women 