Ecological fabrics


We wonder why ecological fabrics are becoming a global trend. And more, in these moments where the latest events of COVID-19  show us the impact that humans are creating on the planet.

Well, in this article, we want to help by providing information to learn what you need to be responsible for your purchases. For this, we are excited that you can learn to distinguish between all the terms that make up the concept of ecological or sustainable fabric.

We do not want you to see us we are just designers, manufacturers and sellers of fashion Sustainable Swimwear, we want you to understand that we are committed to informing and generating a change in your way of consuming through ethical information, about the most important thing to the time to make ethical decisions, Your purchases.

At Brissus, the entire team is with you and we hope that you find the fabric that best suits your socio-environmental criteria for consumption and that this information can help you make a better choice in your purchases.

Remember that consumers have a great responsibility and socio-environmental impact when choosing the characteristics of the fabrics and garments we consume.

 

 

 

What is an organic fabric

Those fabrics that have been cultivated since their origin can be called "ecological or sustainable fabric"; vegetables or extracted from animals, but which are present in nature. The origin of the organic fabric or fabric is 100% natural.

Those fabrics that have been cultivated since their origin can be called "ecological or sustainable fabric"; vegetables or extracted from animals, but which are present in nature. The origin of the organic fabric or fabric is 100% natural. This means that it has not been developed by human hands manipulating elements. Of course, it has had an artisan, mechanical, or industrial manipulation, to extract the fiber from the plant, insect or animal, and turn it into cloth. As examples, we can talk about common natural and ecological fabrics such as; cotton, linen, jute, hemp, coconut, sisal and, wool of different animal wool's or silk.



Brissus-tela-ecologica


What types of ecological fabrics are there?

First, let's distinguish many of the terms used in the textile world to refer to a fabric with little negative environmental impact.

Ecological fabrics: It can be called the fabrics that have been cultivated since their origin; vegetables or extracted from animals, but which are present in nature, their origin is natural, it has not been developed by the human hand manipulating elements. Of course, it has had an artisan, mechanical, or industrial manipulation, a process to extract the fiber from the plant, insect or animal, and turn it into the fabric. As examples, we can speak of common natural and ecological fabrics such as; cotton, linen, jute, hemp, coconut, sisal, and wool of different animal wools and silk. However, with new technologies and the need to produce more ecologically and ethically, imitation leather fabrics, obtained from mushrooms and cactus leaves, are appearing. The textile industry constantly searches and innovates in the search for new, more ecological, and ethically responsible fabrics. One of the main characteristics of these biological fabrics is that they degrade in nature without damaging the environment.

Organic fabrics: These are fabrics of ecological origin that during production to obtain the fibers, no pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, or any other type of product that may harm the environment have been used, this in case they are fibers of origin vegetable. However, in the case of fibers of animal origin, they must be from animals that have a natural life, with a natural diet and traditional care, without injecting them with vaccines, fattening, or fast-growing products. However, in this category of organic fabrics, it is compatible with the processes of genetic alteration. Organic cotton is one of the most used organic fabrics by the textile industry, but this does not mean that it has not been genetically manipulated to consume less water or better repel pests. In this section, we can also add fibers for fabrics obtained from cellulose, such as viscose, and it must also meet the requirement of being biodegradable without damaging the environment.

Sustainable fabrics: The latter is a fairly recent concept, and is that as we consume today, materials are needed that can be recycled again to be produced in different versions again. In this section we can also include fabrics that are not organic, that is, they are not obtained naturally from vegetables or animals. These sustainable fabrics must meet the requirement of respect for the environment, but that their productivity is also positive in the consumption chain, such as the use of resources, recovery of materials, saving in consumption, and avoiding the over exploitation of natural resources for the obtaining raw materials.

Fabrics made from plastic waste, such as polyamide, polyester, and sanity among others, would enter this section of sustainable fabric, which is a way to take advantage of the large production of plastics that we generate. Some fabrics can even carry recycled metal fibers. In general, they are more technical fabrics, designed for certain types of garments that need particular characteristics, it is also mass production since production and preparation is faster than obtaining ecological fabrics, which require a harvest, or wait for the development and growth of an animal. Today, many sports garments are consumed, and they need special characteristics to make the garment more comfortable and practical. Specifically, the world of the bathroom would be impossible to understand today without a polyamide or polyester fabric, its drying is very fast and the garment adapts perfectly to the body. The ideal is to create a world with responsible consumption where we consume organic and sustainable fabrics. In both fabrics, they must have a minimum impact on the environment or a maximum use through their recycling.

Ethical fabrics: This last denomination has been of great relevance lately in the textile world and it is that we cannot produce exploiting human beings with miserable wages or exploitative and even enslaving working conditions, also in this section it can be added to the exploitation of animals for the use of their fibers or leather.

What is the price of ecological fabrics

The cost of ecological or sustainable fabrics will always be higher, compared to others that do not meet the following requirements:

If you have wondered why you pay more for this type of fabric, especially Organic, Sustainable fabrics. It is because their production tends to be slower and less productive in the case of organic fabrics, while Sustainable fabrics need longer and more expensive processes to obtain them.

The ethical fabrics are produced in optimal and fair working conditions for the workers or animal treatment is fair. All these characteristics need a purchase guarantee for consumers and that is where the qualification organizations for fibers, fabrics or production methods appear, these labels that must be added to garments and guarantee their origin, have a higher cost To the fibers or fabrics that do not bear these denominations, we could say that it could vary in a higher cost between 20-50% more. For example, brands from fabric rating organizations like Organic Cotton, OKO-tex, and Fairtrade Commerce are very popular.

For those who like to know more: The curious new ecological fabrics that appear on the market.


Leave a comment