EcoZeal

It’s finally happened. After decades of ridicule for being “hippie,” “bleeding liberal” and “tree-hugging,” the sustainability movement is edging into the mainstream. It’s trendy to be green, no matter what your political agenda – and retailers are well aware of it.

It seems no matter where you shop, you’re faced with an ever-increasing number of clothing items claiming to be Earth friendly eco-choices. How do you distinguish between what’s really Green and what’s jump-on-the-bandwagon marketing hype?

It can be a confusing process, to be sure. When judging an article of clothing for sustainability, it helps to organize the facts. Here are some things to consider:

1. Type of fiber. Natural fibers are renewable and therefore usually preferable from a Green standpoint. Some natural fibers are more sustainable than others. For example, soy clothing is made from parts of the plant not grown from food, so utilizes a resource that might otherwise go to waste.

2. Means of production. Is it grown organically? Is it recycled? Is it made with non-toxic dyes? Be careful – the answers to these questions must be weighed along with all your other information. For instance, cotton is a heavy feeder and requires extensive cultivation. Even unregulated bamboo may be easier on the soil than certified organic cotton. And although polyester is made from non-renewable petroleum, a recycled jacket made from PET (pop bottle) fiber removes material from the waste stream and is a more sustainable choice than many natural fiber garments.
3. Means of disposal. Eventually, the item will become waste. What then? There are very few recycling options for worn-out clothing. Most ends up in the trash. Here’s where natural fibers have another advantage: they decompose, whereas plastics and other petroleum-based fibers kick around in the environment forever. (Even if they break down partially, they stick around as unnatural material on a molecular level. If you think that’s no big deal, check out what’s happening in the Pacific Ocean.)
4. Geographic Origin. The farther from its point of origin an item is shipped, the more resources are used in transporting it. But be careful – in this age of globalization not all is as it seems. For instance, a shirt made in Mexico may seem relatively local to the Texan who buys it – until he finds out it was made of cotton grown in India and woven into cloth in Malaysia.

It pays to ask questions. While you might not get satisfactory answers every time, you may uncover some interesting facts that change your mind about what you thought was Green.

How Green is Green? Untangling sustainable fiber choices can be challenging.