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f you’re remotely fashion-inclined, you may have noticed that many designers are co-opting more renewably sourced fibers. In fact, this idea of “greenwashing”— the phenomenon describing companies disingenuously advertising green production, practices, and policies—has plagued not only the fashion industry, but also has made its way into corporations such as PepsiCo. Organic cotton is in; it may just be our way out of a toxic textile industry. More and more brands like Everlane and Able are discovering the magic of livable wages and safe working conditions. But what exactly are renewably sourced fibers? What makes them any different than the man-made, highly commercialized polyester or nylon? Does sustainable material always entail ethical production? “Eco-friendly” materials include naturally sourced fibers, like bamboo and hemp. Alternative fibers, like Ingeo fiber, are also eco-friendly synthetics but do not rely as heavily on finite oil resources as polyester and nylon do. These options are undeniably more sustainable than utilizing fossil fuels to manufacture polyester and other unsustainable materials, but what are the long-term environmental implications of these products going to be? In 2008, NatureWorks began manufacturing textiles like Ingeo fiber—derived from plant material in an effort to curb the constant use of petroleum in synthetic textiles. This process used 62-68 percent less fossil fuels than traditional methods. Not only could these materials also be composted, but they reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 80-90 percent. Imagine what a world with these sustainable practices could look like!
Artificial by Design BY SYEDA HASAN, BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE & GLOBAL HEALTH, 2020 BY COLIN THOMPSON, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 2019 DESIGN BY LILLIE HOFFART, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 2022 PHOTOS BY GUS MUELLER
This article was written in collaboration between NU Sci and The Avenue, Northeastern’s fashion and culture publication. Look for The Avenue’s “Devotion” edition, coming March 27th for more looks from this photoshoot!
As it stands, current practices around the manufacturing of synthetic textiles raise concerns over microfiber shedding, which leads to to microplastic pollution. That’s not to say that natural fibers like cotton and wool are perfect, either. In fact, natural fibers also require significant amounts of water. However, the impact of microplastic solution is a heavy one. Synthetic textiles account for 35 percent of microplastics entering oceans. In a 2016 study looking at microfiber waste collected from conventional washing machines, it was estimated that a population of 100,000 people can produce almost 1.02 kilograms of microfibers every day and 793 pounds every year. These microplastics inevitably reach the ocean, where they can enter the diets of marine life. About 73 percent of fish caught at mid-ocean depths were shown to have microplastics in their stomachs. As for the waste that isn’t eaten by marine life, a lot of it ends up on the ocean floor or other inaccessible parts of the ocean, making it hard for researchers to fully understand the environmental impacts they impose.
