Fabric Sustainability Checker
The Fabric Sustainability Checker rates materials on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) based on environmental and social impact. It highlights key issues such as water use, chemical inputs, resource extraction, biodegradability and recycling challenges. This helps you assess how eco-friendly your clothe’s fabrics are.
Are the materials you're wearing sustainable? How can you tell? Use our Fabric Sustainability Checker to find out!
Natural Fibres and Lower Impact Choices
Natural fibres such as hemp, linen, nettle fibre and regenerative cotton score higher. They need fewer chemicals and less water, support soil health and biodegrade at end of life. Choosing these fabrics reduces environmental pressures compared with conventional options.
Recycled and Certified Materials
Recycled textiles like recycled cotton and recycled nylon (for example ECONYL) sit above many virgin synthetics. They reuse waste and reduce need for new raw materials, cutting emissions and waste. Certified wood-based fabrics such as TENCEL lyocell also offer more sustainable processes.
Low Sustainability Materials to Avoid
Fossil fuel–based synthetics such as conventional polyester, nylon, acrylic, elastane and polypropylene score lowest. They rely on non-renewable resources, use high energy, and shed microplastics into oceans, making them poor choices for eco-minded wardrobes.
Broader Value of Sustainable Fabric Choices
Beyond the score, sustainable fabric choices reduce water use, pollution, carbon emissions, and textile waste. They support circular fashion and align with global efforts to lower the fashion industry’s environmental footprint, which accounts for major water and carbon impacts globally.
Key Factors to Consider in Sustainable Fashion
Why is fabric sustainability important?
Fabric sustainability is important because it reduces environmental impact, conserves resources, and promotes ethical production. Sustainable fabrics help lower waste, support fair labour practices, and contribute to a healthier planet.
What brands are sustainable?
Sustainable brands include Patagonia, People Tree, Veja, Eileen Fisher and Stella McCartney. They use ethical materials, fair labour, transparent supply chains and long‑lasting designs that minimise environmental impact.
What to look for in sustainable fashion?
In sustainable fashion, look for ethically sourced materials, transparent production processes, fair labour practices, durability, and eco-friendly packaging. Focus on timeless designs that minimise waste and promote long-term, mindful consumption.
How Do I Know if My Clothes Are Sustainable?
To determine if your clothes are sustainable, check for ethical sourcing, transparency, and eco-friendly practices. Look for durability and longevity in clothing. Use our Fast Fashion Brand Finder tool to make informed choices.
Fabric Index & Scoring
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| Fabric / Material | Sustainability rating (1–5) | Notes on sustainability |
| Conventional cotton | 2 | High water use, heavy pesticides, soil depletion, pollution from dyes and finishes. (Includes DENIM) |
| Organic cotton | 3 | Lower synthetic inputs, better soil health, still large land and water footprint. |
| BCI cotton | 3 | Better Cotton Initiative focuses on reduced inputs and worker welfare, mixed results. |
| Regenerative cotton | 4 | Farming approaches that rebuild soil and biodiversity, lower inputs, limited supply. |
| Recycled cotton | 4 | Uses textile waste, reduces water and pesticide demand, fibre quality often lower. |
| Linen (flax) | 4 | Low water need, grows in poor soils, few inputs, durable and biodegradable. |
| Hemp | 5 | Fast growth, low inputs, supports soil health, strong, long lasting, biodegradable. |
| Ramie | 4 | Bast fibre from nettle family, low inputs, strong and biodegradable. |
| Nettle fibre | 4 | Grows in wild or low input systems, local processing possible, biodegradable. |
| Jute | 3 | Low input crop, mainly for bags and trims, limited clothing use, biodegradable. |
| Conventional polyester | 1 | Fossil based, high energy use, microplastic shedding, non biodegradable. |
| Recycled polyester (rPET) | 3 | Uses bottle or textile waste, lower emissions than virgin, microplastics remain. |
| Part bio based polyester | 2 | Part plant feedstock, still synthetic polymer, microplastics and end of life issues. |
| Nylon (polyamide) | 1 | Fossil based, energy intensive, microplastics, non biodegradable. |
| Recycled nylon (eg ECONYL) | 3 | Uses fishing nets or waste nylon, lower resource use, microplastics remain. |
| Acrylic | 1 | Fossil based, energy heavy, strong microfibre shedding, non biodegradable. |
| Elastane / spandex | 1 | Petroleum based, tiny share in blends but disrupts recycling and sheds fibres. |
| Polypropylene | 1 | Fossil based, strong microfibre shedding, difficult recycling in blends. |
| Wool (conventional) | 3 | Renewable, long wearing, but methane, land pressure and welfare concerns. |
| Certified / mulesing free wool | 4 | Improved animal welfare and land standards, still methane and land pressure. |
| Organic wool | 4 | Stricter feed, vet care and land rules, renewable and biodegradable. |
| Alpaca | 4 | Soft, durable, lower impact herds in some regions, land pressure still possible. |
| Cashmere | 2 | High grazing pressure, rangeland degradation in key regions, long lasting garments. |
| Mohair | 2 | Welfare concerns and land pressure in some supply chains, renewable fibre. |
| Silk | 3 | Biodegradable, high labour and resource demand, sericulture uses chemicals. |
| Peace silk | 3 | Less harm to silkworms, similar farming footprint, still resource intensive. |
| Viscose / rayon (generic) | 2 | Wood based, often linked to deforestation and toxic chemical discharge. |
| Ecovero viscose | 4 | Certified wood sources, lower emissions and cleaner processing than generic viscose. |
| Modal (standard) | 3 | Wood based, efficient production compared to viscose, still chemical heavy. |
| TENCEL Modal | 4 | Certified wood, improved solvent systems, lower resource use than standard modal. |
| Lyocell / TENCEL lyocell | 4 | Closed loop solvent recovery, certified forestry, biodegradable, good durability. |
| Bamboo viscose | 2 | Fast growing crop, but most production uses heavy chemicals and energy. |
| Bamboo linen (mechanical) | 4 | Mechanical processing, similar to linen, low chemical load, less common. |
| Cupro | 3 | Regenerated cellulose from cotton waste, often closed loop, still solvent reliance. |
| Seaweed fibre (eg SeaCell) | 4 | Uses seaweed with cellulose, low land use, often blended, small scale. |
| Piñatex (pineapple leaf fibre) | 4 | Uses farm waste leaves, reduces burning, some petroleum based coatings present. |
| Mycelium leather | 4 | Grown from fungal roots, low land use, some versions use synthetic binders. |
| Cork leather | 5 | Harvested from cork oak bark without tree removal, renewable, long lasting. |
| Cow leather, chrome tanned | 1 | Linked to livestock emissions, chrome tanning pollution, high water and land use. |
| Vegetable tanned leather | 2 | Fewer toxic chemicals, same livestock footprint, long service life. |
| PU based vegan leather | 2 | No animals, fossil based backing, short lifespan, microplastics, recycling issues. |
| PVC based vegan leather | 1 | Chlorine chemistry, toxic additives, pollution risk, microplastic shedding. |
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