Though many of us wear cotton, it’s not exactly one of the most eco friendly clothing choices.

Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops there is. Because it is prone to pest attacks, it uses more pesticide and insecticide than almost any other crop. Cotton is believed to account for 25% of worldwide insecticide use. The sprays that are used on cotton kill not just cotton weevils, but also any other insects in the area, thus wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. Cotton is also a very thirsty crop requiring a lot of water, often in places that are already prone to drought. Fortunately there are other options for more eco friendly clothing.

Organic Cotton – Despite convention cotton’s harmful environmental impacts, there is the option of organic cotton eco friendly clothing. While it doesn’t do much to decrease the amount of water used in growing, it does prevent the immense pesticide use of ordinary cotton. Unfortunately organic cotton can also be extremely pricey.

Bamboo – Eco friendly clothing made of bamboo fiber is a trend that’s been catching on lately. Despite the fact that the bamboo starts out as the hard sticks we’re all accustomed to seeing, when the fiber is stripped down, it creates some of the softest clothing available (twice as soft as cotton). And because bamboo grows so fast, it’s an extremely renewable resource that make bamboo one of the most eco friendly clothing choices available. Cariloha carries a wide range of eco friendly bamboo clothing for both men and women.

Hemp – One of my personal favorite types of eco friendly clothing is hemp, because the plant is so versatile and so eco friendly in its production (read my earlier post about the many benefits of hemp fabric here). Clothes made out of hemp fabric will last many years longer than traditional cotton clothes because hemp is one of strongest fabrics on the planet. Hemp Traders sells reasonably priced hemp clothing as well as hemp fabric by the yard for adventurous people who want to make their own eco friendly clothing.

Recycled Clothing – Buying second hand clothing, even if it happens to be traditional cotton, is also an eco friendly clothing choice. By buying second hand you’re recycling clothing that would otherwise simply be thrown out. By reusing clothing instead of buying new, you avoid supporting the planting of more cotton for more new clothing. This is also usually the most cost-effective form of eco friendly clothing.

Jute – Though more familiar as string, jute is also used to make eco friendly clothing. Like hemp, jute doesn’t require fertilizer or pesticides and doesn’t need very rich soil to grow. It’s often used to make shoes as well as clothing, though the fabric itself is somewhat courser than many other natural fabrics.

Wool – While it may be a bit heavy for summer use, when it comes to the cold months nothing beats good, old fashioned wool. Wool keeps you warm even when wet. Because it comes from shearing sheep, it’s a very renewable resource. Wool also has one of the most eco friendly processing systems. Nothing needs to be added to break it down to make it usable, it simply needs to be cleaned and spun into fiber.

An alternative to sheep’s wool that is growing in popularity is alpaca wool. Though a bit more expensive than traditional sheep’s wool, it’s also twice as soft. Locally we have an alpaca wool vendor at the Cheshire Farmer’s Market. They also sell their alpaca eco friendly clothing items on their website as well as skeins of alpaca yarn for people who want to knit their own clothes. You can check them out at Golden Oak Farm.

Copyright © Amber Reifsteck ~ The Woodland Elf

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