Materials
Every manufacturer on The Sustainable Link lists the materials they work with. Here is a plain-English guide to each one — what it is, why it is the lower-impact option, and what to ask the mill before you commit.
Natural cellulose
Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilisers or GMO seed, usually with crop rotation and rain-fed watering. That protects soil life, keeps farmers' water clean and typically uses far less water than conventional cotton. Look for GOTS (the full standard, including processing chemicals) or OCS (organic content only).
Reused fibre
Cotton reclaimed from factory offcuts or post-consumer garments, shredded back into fibre and spun into new yarn. It gives a second life to material that would otherwise be landfilled and avoids the land, water and pesticides of a new cotton crop. Because the fibres shorten during recycling it is often blended with a little virgin fibre for strength — GRS or RCS verify the recycled content.
Natural cellulose, extra-long staple
Pima (and its Peruvian cousin, Tanguis) is an extra-long-staple cotton: the fibres are longer, so the yarn is smoother, stronger and far less prone to pilling. Grown organically, it combines that longevity with the lower-impact farming of organic cotton — a good choice when you want a basic that survives years of wear rather than a season.
Recycled synthetic
Polyester made from post-consumer plastic bottles or pre-consumer textile waste instead of new petroleum. Producing it uses notably less energy and CO2 than virgin polyester and keeps plastic out of landfill. Its one real weakness is microfibre shedding in the wash — ask whether the mill uses fibre-catching filters and whether your garment will be washed in a filter bag. GRS verifies the recycled share.
Recycled synthetic
Nylon regenerated from waste that is already out there: discarded fishing nets, carpet fluff and manufacturing scrap (ECONYL is the best-known example). Since virgin nylon is energy-intensive to make and nylon waste persists for centuries, regeneration is one of the strongest material swaps in activewear and outerwear. Check the certified recycled percentage, not just the brand name.
Natural bast fibre
Made from flax, a crop that generally needs no irrigation, few inputs and grows well in cooler northern climates — much of it is grown in Europe. The whole plant is used, the fabric is highly breathable and durable, and pure linen biodegrades at end of life. Look for European Flax or Master of Linen origin marks, and for GOTS-certified processing if dyeing matters to you.
Natural bast fibre
One of the lowest-input crops there is: hemp grows fast, crowds out weeds on its own, needs no pesticides and returns nutrients to the soil it grows in. The fibre is exceptionally strong, gets softer with every wash and blends well with cotton or Tencel for drape. The main hurdle is supply and processing infrastructure, so expect a shorter list of mills that can offer it.
Wood-based cellulose (lyocell)
Tencel is Lenzing's branded lyocell: wood pulp (mostly eucalyptus and beech from managed forests) dissolved and spun into fibre in a closed loop, where around 99% of the solvent is recovered and reused. The result is a silky, moisture-wicking fabric with a much smaller footprint than viscose. Ask for the Lenzing Tencel™ name or the OEKO-TEX and FSC references behind it.
Natural protein fibre
A renewable, biodegradable fibre that insulates when damp, resists odour and lasts for years — which is why it appears in everything from knitwear to tailoring. Its impact depends entirely on the farm: grazing pressure, methane and land use vary hugely. The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is the mark that land management and sheep welfare have been independently checked.
Natural protein fibre, fine
Fine, soft wool from Merino sheep, fine enough to sit against the skin — the default for base layers and travel knitwear. Because Merino is often kept in large flocks, welfare questions (notably mulesing) concentrate here, so ask specifically for mulesing-free clips and RWS or ZQ certification, which also trace the fleece back to the property it came from.
Reused protein fibre
Old garments and factory rags sorted by colour, shredded and re-spun into new yarn. It skips the grazing, shearing and scouring of a new clip, and because the fibre is already dyed, re-dyeing is often unnecessary — saving water and chemicals. The trade-off is shorter fibres and a more rustic hand, which suits blankets, coats and heavy knits better than fine garments.
Natural protein fibre, luxury
The soft undercoat combed from cashmere goats. It is genuinely biodegradable and long-lived, but heavy herd numbers on fragile grasslands have driven overgrazing and desertification in some producing regions, so sourcing is everything. Ask for the Good Cashmere Standard or Sustainable Cashmere Farming references, and for traceability to a specific region.
Natural protein fibre
Alpaca fleece is hollow, so it is warm yet lighter and softer than sheep's wool, and it contains no lanolin — fewer washes and less processing. Alpacas also tread more gently on pasture than goats, which makes alpaca a lower-pressure alternative to cashmere. Most fleece comes from Peru and Bolivia; look for smallholder or cooperative programmes that pay herders fairly.
Natural protein fibre
A continuous filament spun by silkworms — extraordinarily strong, lustrous and long-wearing. Conventional silk is energy- and water-hungry to reel and dye, and raises animal-welfare questions, so the interesting variants are organic or peace (ahimsa) silk, plus GOTS-certified silk, which restricts chemicals in processing. Ask the mill where the cocoons come from and how the fabric is dyed.
Natural bast fibre
A fast-growing tropical bast fibre that needs no pesticides and very little water beyond rain, and reaches harvest in months. It is strong, fully biodegradable and increasingly used for bags, backing, interlinings and blended fabrics. Because jute is stiff on its own, it is usually combined with cotton or Tencel — a good low-impact structural fibre rather than a next-to-skin one.
Natural, harvested without felling
The bark of the cork oak, stripped from the living tree every nine years or so while the tree keeps growing — and cork forests actively absorb CO2 while they stand. Cork is water-resistant, durable, fully biodegradable and recyclable, which is why it turns up in trims, buttons, insoles and accessories. Ask whether the cork is by-product of wine stopper production, which makes it even more efficient.
Browse the directory to see which materials — and which certifications — each manufacturer actually offers.
