Other extras, like threads, buttons, zippers and labels could also spoil the fun.Ĭreate new life through redesign and upcycling This obviously reduces their biodegradability. In reality it’s obviously not that simple, because clothes are often made from a blend of fabrics (often polyesters) or heavily coated. Other fabrics like jute, abaca fibers, cork or products made of seeds, shells, nuts, and wood are all compostable. Silk is made from the cocoons of silkworms and is also very biodegradable. HEMPīecause hemp is derived from plants and does not require excessive processing, it is highly biodegradable. Like wool, it takes a year and sometimes longer to biodegrade. ![]() WOOLĭepending on the blend, wool takes between one and five years to decompose. You can speed up the process by cutting the fabric into small pieces. This very delicate material can decompose in as little as two weeks when it’s completely pure. In the right compost, the material should be gone in a week to five months. THE BIODEGRADABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL FABRICSĬotton is one of the easiest fabrics to decompose, especially if it’s 100% cotton. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, spandex, nylon, … Though they will eventually decompose, this process might take twenty to two hundred years. These are natural textiles that easily break down, like cotton, silk, wool, cashmere and hemp. SOME USEFUL GUIDELINES BIODEGRADABLE FABRICS Factors like the exact circumstances in which clothes will decompose, the time this takes, and the availability of collection and take-back systems are crucial. This strategy is not yet widely used because it still requires a lot of research, and because (contrary to for instance coffee cups) clothes aren’t usually left on the side of the road after use. One way for us to close the loop, then, is to make sure our clothes are biodegradable. This is the most advanced closed-loop system ever. One of nature’s basic principles is that everything has its place: something springs to life, consisting of natural resources, and at the end it slowly disappears back into the earth. Perhaps someone else is just dying to wear those clothes that you’ve grown tired of. Recycling is still an option here, but it needs to be taken into account in the design phase already.ĭo you cringe at the idea of clothes ending up in landfill? Facilitate the return of items that are no longer wanted.Īnd why not reuse clothes? This is the most sustainable option of all. ![]() Going one step beyond reusing the fabric itself, you can reuse its fibers. Reusing fabrics for new designs is actually pretty easy. Something that’s already done quite regularly is to upcycle clothing. This is quite spectacular, but the method is not applied on a large scale yet. Have you heard of fabrics that disintegrate completely? They are called biodegradable. Or aren’t we? There are so many alternatives to throwing clothes in the trash, so many things you can do to extend the lives of those resources that have cost blood, sweat and tears to obtain. ![]() Did you know? 20% of the global production waste comes from the textile and apparel sectors.
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