Sustainable Fabrics UK Businesses Choose for Their Sustainable Fabric Products

maake takes an in-depth look at the sustainable fabric UK manufacturers use to produce their products

Have you ever wondered how the fabrics you use daily in your business affect the environment? We’re talking about how we make the fabrics and print on them before we start manufacturing the products our businesses sell.

Are all of these processes sustainable? Let’s look at the first step UK businesses make towards sustainability for fabrics – and that’s the sustainable fabrics they choose to create a product. 

The Importance of Choosing the Right Eco-friendly Fabric

Whether your business creates fashion garments, household wares, or interior décor pieces and table accessories, they are all made of fabrics. So think about using fabrics that manufacturers have produced and sourced sustainably. If you visit a fabric shop and choose locally made and sourced sustainable fabrics, that’s even better.

First, let’s consider how we define sustainable fabric, and once we’ve ascertained that it’s sustainable, let’s talk about the most sustainable fabrics available in the UK. And while you’re thinking about fabric sustainability, don’t forget to read our informative guide on sustainable fabric printing.

What are Sustainable Fabrics?

No fabric is 100% sustainable, although some fabric is more eco-friendly than others. This is how we define an eco-friendly fabric when we talk about sustainability:

1. Are these sustainable fabrics sourced without negatively impacting the environment or the planet? 

Sustainable textiles, including ethically produced wool, organic cotton, etc, are all created using eco-friendly, natural or recycled fabrics that don’t harm the environment.

2. Can we use the raw materials without processing them?

Often, we need to process fabrics first. We will then sustainably produce those raw materials, by weaving or knitting. 

We need to dye fabrics and print on them sustainably. So when we dye the fabric, the dye needs to be non-toxic to be ethical, and if we print on the fabric, we need to ensure that we use a sustainable printing process, too, with ‘safe’ inks.

Processing a fabric involves some chemical process, such as bleaching, for instance, or adding formaldehyde to the fabrics so they don’t wrinkle. Both of those chemicals are toxic.

3. Did you consider the product’s life cycle?

This includes what we use the fabrics for and whether the fabrics will impact the planet negatively. In addition, sustainable fabrics are usually of high quality.

Why Sustainable Fabrics Are Important

We consider fabrics 'eco-friendly' when they don’t negatively impact the environment. That we made and manufactured sustainable fabrics into end products without polluting the environment. So, when we created, dyed, and printed on these sustainable fabrics, we used hardly any energy and water and no toxic chemicals.

• Sustainable fabrics are durable. And we can recycle and use these sustainable fabrics more than once, or we can use them as compost.
• Sustainable fabrics also won’t harm the environment.
• The way you wash sustainable fabric products, whether it is an item of clothing, curtains, or other homeware accessories, also affects their environmental impact.

The Most Eco-Friendly Fabrics

Natural & Organic Sustainable Fabrics

Recycled Cotton: Producing regular cotton is not sustainable; it involves a lot of water, pesticides, and chemicals. We believe that both organic cotton and fair trade cotton fabric are sustainable. Manufacturers ensure that these natural plant-based sustainable fabrics use less pesticides, water, and energy than other types of cotton. Check out our guide on organic fabrics and sustainable material here. And, for more information on organic cotton, you can also read this comprehensive guide.

These sustainable materials are manufactured without toxic chemicals, although some manufacturers use pesticides; if this is the case, the process is considered not completely sustainable.

We call GOTS-certified cotton the most eco-friendly cotton. This certification shows that we have carefully checked the cotton to ensure it is environmentally friendly.

The most sustainable cotton of all is recycled cotton, according to the Preferred Fibre and Materials Market Report created by the US Textile Exchange in 2021. Producing this type of sustainable cotton can reduce water and energy consumption and ensure cotton clothing doesn’t end up in landfills.

Organic Linen: We make sustainable fabrics out of the flax plant. UK suppliers make natural organic linen fabrics using very little water and few, if any, pesticides. We can grow these sustainable fabrics in poor-quality soil. If the process doesn't involve dying linen fabric, it’s 100% biodegradable. A linen textile is not only sustainable; it’s also lightweight, breathable, and withstands hot temperatures.

Organic Hemp: These extremely durable fabrics are not only 100% natural; they are sustainable, protect us from UV rays, and insulate and cool. To grow, the plants need very little water and no pesticides. 

The plant also naturally fertilises the soil in which it grows. When producers create sustainable fabrics, they use no chemicals when spinning the natural fibre (although some manufacturers use chemicals to speed up the process). 

Tencel: We make these natural light cellulose sustainable fabrics from dissolved wood pulp; it is biodegradable. We developed the process to make Tencel ensuring that it is sustainable and has little impact on the environment. 

Although it’s similar to rayon, Tencel requires only a third of the water used to make rayon. We can also recycle more than 99% of the water and non-toxic solvents we use to manufacture sustainable Tencel.

Tencel is an antibacterial fabric with water-wicking properties, so it’s a perfect sustainable activewear fabric.

Sustainable Textiles That are Synthetic

Recycled polyester: Created from recycled plastic bottles or pre-consumer waste from garment manufacturers, fabric waste, etc, these textiles are more sustainable. This fabric also helps to lessen plastic pollution and reduce the need for raw materials. We’ve also compiled a comprehensive guide on recycled polyester for you to read.

These recycled polyester fabrics are much more sustainable than polyester; they use about 35% less water to produce than regular polyester fabric. In addition, we can recycle a garment made from recycled polyester.

Econyl: This material is a sustainable alternative to nylon. We make the fabrics from waste materials (eg fishing nets and industrial plastic). Econyl fabric can release small plastic microfibres when we wash it, so we often use this fabric for products that don’t need regular washing, such as backpacks and sneakers. 

Wool: This natural fibre is sustainable and biodegradable. Although wool does shed fibres when you wash it, these fibres break down naturally and don’t harm the environment.

Certifications for Sustainable Fabrics & Businesses 

GOTS

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the major sustainable processing standard for organic fibres. When fabrics have this certification, we consider them 'sustainable'.

Manufacturers have to check the fabrics to ensure they have not been produced using chemicals harmful to humans or affect animal welfare. They also have to ensure that farmers’ working conditions are decent. If this is the case, then the fabrics are considered sustainable.

Once they receive the GOTS certification, this guarantees they are organic sustainable fabrics and can be exported. Every major global market accepts this sustainable certification. A GOTS certificate assures consumers that a green supply chain is the source of the product.

maake uses inks that have GOTS 6.0 fabric certification. When we pair this organic certification with fabrics that have received GOTS certification, it's an even more powerful sign of sustainability.

Oeko-tex®

This is one of the most renowned standards for sustainable textile certifications. The testing done is very strict. The group Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supports these certifications.

The Oeko-tex test certifies that testers have tested the fabrics for harmful substances and found them sustainable, i.e., safe for humans. When a fabric passes this test, the customer is confident that this sustainable fabric meets all possible safety requirements, both national and international.

All inks and most of the fabrics that maake use have Oeke-tex certifications. 

Certifications For Environmentally Friendly Businesses

Two important sustainable fabric certifications make business practices more sustainable: 

REACH: If you use chemicals in your printing process, you must register these substances under EU REACH if the volume of the chemical you’re using is more than 1 ton per year (t/y). 

To be sustainability compliant, you must apply for a REACH registration number which the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issues. Read more about REACH registration or the REACH registration number here.

Sedex: This is one of the world’s leading ethical trade organisations. They work with global businesses to improve working conditions of companies that supply their items worldwide to ensure sustainability. You can register to become a member of Sedex on their website and use their comprehensive online services and tools to help you operate your business sustainably, protect your employees, and ethically source sustainable fabrics.

At maake we take the provision of sustainable fabrics/inks from suppliers that meet REACH and SEDEX requirements very seriously; we constantly monitor suppliers to ensure they are ethical and conform to our high sustainability standards.

Check out our blog on sustainable fabrics certifications for all the details.

Sustainable Textile Innovation at maake

At maake, we use only sustainable fabrics that are ethically sourced. We buy these fabrics from UK-trusted mills where possible, helping the local economy and reducing our carbon footprint. We ensure we work with REACH- and SEDEX-accredited mills. That’s because we know that their fabrics and products are sustainable.

Traditional textile printing uses vast amounts of water, energy, and waste. To produce a cheaper product, many mills ignore the environmental impact these products have. However, maake works daily to counteract the status quo and minimise our impact by using sustainable fabrics for our products.

Our processes use 95% less energy than traditional textile printing. We use only 100% renewable energy sources. We are proud to say our production is eco-conscious and we use virtually no water.

Check out our fabulous fabric selection here

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