Natural Fibers. What's that all about?

You may have noticed that I use the phrase ‘natural fibers’ a lot in the descriptions of my products. Why is that important? I am so glad you asked! Now, I have also mentioned that I got started on this journey after doing a class project with my oldest. She picked an oceanographer, Sylvia Earl, and we learned quite a bit about the ocean and that brought my awareness of what is going on in our ocean to the forefront for me. One of the biggest problems is the plastic in our ocean and how it is affecting the marine life and our oceans. But, back to natural fibers.

First off, what’s the benefits of natural fibers? They are more breathable, they have a natural high absorption quality, they are extremely breathable and comfortable, they have natural moisture wicking ability, naturally ventilated and can dry dampness. Most natural fabrics (cotton, silk, linen and bamboo) are hypoallergenic. Natural fabrics are anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and are dust-resistant. They are great for those with sensitive skin or allergies. Wool, bamboo, and silk are thermal fabrics, which self adjust their temperature according to weather. They also trap air and become an insulator to generate warmth.

Natural fibers are a sustainable and renewable choice. They are biodegradable and can be recycled. For example, my beeswax wraps can be composted or burned at the end of their life. Synthetic fabrics take hundreds of years to decompose because they are a man-made plastic. They also release 3-4 times their mass in methane. Yes, our clothes are worse than cows. Who knew? The methane released also makes our landfills dangerous, which could result in a major explosion or fire. To keep our clothing out of the landfill, the fabrics are sometimes incinerated. So what’s the problem with that? CO2 is another gas that is released when fabric and clothing is incinerated. CO2 is a powerful carcinogen, resulting in cancer, cardiac or respiratory conditions. With the rise of respiratory issues and cancer this is a big issue.

Another problem with synthetic fabrics is because they are not biodegradable. When they don’t decompose they get rained on, which produces toxic ground water. It becomes toxic due to the accumulation of chemicals that run out of the fabrics into the soil. The toxic run off flows into other soil, destroying the natural ecology and diminishing fertility. It doesn’t get much better when the fabric sits up on top of the ground. After being evaporated, the chemicals can be found in rain clouds and results in acid rain. Acid rain can be thought of as mobile toxic groundwater that continually cycles thru the evaporation process, contributing to the degradation of the soil. Fish and wildlife are immediately affected by these factors. The toxic groundwater changes the pH balance of water. Animals drink the water, causing health issues and possibly death or extinction.

I do want to point our that natural fibers aren’t 100% of the solution. But, you just pointed out natural fibers are better! Unfortunately, its more complicated than that. A good portion of our natural fibers have been chemically treated with dyes, chemicals used to treat the fabric and also the pesticides used to grow the plants. Organic fabric does help with this and since people are scrutinizing how our food/plants are grown, change is happening. That is why its important to know what quality of fabric you are getting. Getting cheap fabric means it will also wear and tear, breaking down quicker, which means buying more. Buying quality garments, buying used clothing,recycling your clothing, all help with the waste that is happening with fabric. Getting a well made dress that you can use several times for events is the way to go. But, what if people notice that I am wearing the same thing? You can switch it up. Use different accessories, a scarf, a sweater, different jewelry, different hair styles… the possibilities are endless. Or buy separates that you can intermingle.

Well, how do you do it? You must have all natural fibers in your kids and your closet. Nope. I am not perfect either. I admit it. But, I am more aware of what I am buying. I am looking for more natural fibers to change out my wardrobe. Can’t go completely natural? Keep your eye out for hybrid fabrics (ex. 50% cotton and 50% synthetic fabric) which are better for our environment. Like I mentioned previously, I also invest in quality garments or I take a trip to a used clothing store. Most of my kid’s clothes are second hand clothes. Part of the process is to keep the clothing/fabric out of the landfill, which is one of the reasons I teamed up with a seamstress and buy her scrap fabric. This is why I offer products made from natural fibers. Its not easy! There are so many yarns I would love to use, but they are acrylic. I stay away from most fabrics, unless they are natural fibers. Having natural alternatives is important.

Remember when you are refreshing your wardrobe look at what you are buying, how you are recycling your old clothes (recycling, used clothing store or a buy nothing group all are good choices) and the quality, not quantity. Hopefully I have convinced you to look at what is in your closet because I haven’t even tackled the main problem with our clothing. What? I mentioned in the beginning that this is affecting our oceans and I mentioned that this is BIG topic. The only way to tackle this conversation was to break it down into two parts, so tune in next week to learn more!