Fabrics and alternatives toxicas to synthetic fibers

Synthetic fibers are toxic to the environment and the "real cost" goes beyond what you pay when you buy clothes made from these fibers. A typical feature of a fashion magazine includes affordable trends that show clothing, shoes and accessories for those on a limited budget. However, what is almost always the case is that many of these affordable trends are made of synthetic materials. The "affordable" part is misleading, since these affordable prices do not reflect the true cost generated by the environment. How many of us know what synthetic fibers should be avoided and what are the alternatives?

WE START REVISING SYNTHETIC FIBERS

Nylon - Nylon is a fiber made of synthetic polyamide, an organic petrochemical compound. There are natural polyamides, silk and wool, and nylon is the synthetic alternative to these natural fibers. Nylon is often found in fabric blends such as viscose-nylon or polyester-nylon. This material is a non-renewable resource.

Viscose: viscose, commonly called rayon, is a fiber made from regenerated cellulose that comes from trees. The chemical used to process cellulose to become a "rotating" fiber is considered a danger to human health. Not all cellulose is recovered during the manufacturing process and depends on the manufacturer.

Polyester-elastane: polyester or PET, as you may have seen with a recycling symbol in a plastic container, is modified ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid (organic chemistry of yay!). This means that it is a petrochemical product, which means that it is a non-renewable resource that comes from oil. Elastane is the generic term for Lycra®, created by DuPont. In the USA UU., We refer to the material as spandex, but outside the US. It is more commonly known as elastane, a polyester-polyurethane copolymer. This material is plastic, which means that it is a non-renewable resource and a petrochemical product.

Polyurethane (many vegan leather articles are made of this material): polyurethane (PU) is a plastic material that can be molded into shapes. Because it is a plastic it is a petrochemical product. PUs along with PVC are typically those that comprise "vegan" leather and are used in inexpensive footwear. The chemical process for PVC is extremely toxic to the environment. There are much better vegan leather options that have less impact. Or do what I do that is buy my second hand leather. This is how I deal with this riddle and I also keep my shoes for more than 10 years through maintenance and attention (see the related publication).

WHY IT MATTERS

All the above fabrics (except viscose / rayon) are not biodegradable, they are non-renewable petrochemical products that require significant energy for their manufacture. Nylon is three times more energetic than cotton to produce. Nylon requires the use of dyes that create significant water contamination.

Polyester: more than 70 million barrels of oil are used every year. Because it is not biodegradable, it will persist in the environment as it decomposes into smaller pieces. The two largest sources of microplastic pollution in the ocean are nylon fishing nets and synthetic textile fibers that wear out during washing. Read more about the tremendous negative impact of polyester and microfibers.

Polyurethane and PVC: these two are not biodegradable, they are non-renewable petrochemical products that are extremely toxic, especially their manufacture. PVC is made of vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen.

Viscosa: Recently, concerns have been expressed about the trees used in the viscose and that many of them come from ancient forests, tropical forests or endangered trees. Chances are you're wearing clothes from an old tree growing from endangered tropical forests. I know what you think, that's not on the label! Not so, but some brands in the fashion industry are working on obtaining trees grown in a sustainable way. Until this is resolved, I advise you to only buy secondhand rayon (viscose).

Your clothes are also treated with chemicals!

It turns out that not only real fibers are toxic and harmful to the environment, but the finishes of the garments are also potentially dangerous. This is worrisome because we wear clothes next to our skin and our skin is our largest organ. This article breaks down the main offenders and does a great job of explanation. All those fabrics that are advertised as wrinkle free are in fact treated with chemicals. It turns out that the alternative is to buy natural fabrics, which I will discuss in more detail below...

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