11/23/2022

Why linen is an eco-friendly choice

As eco-conscious consumers, we’re mindful of the impact our clothing can have on people and the planet. But unfortunately, the fashion industry contributes to more carbon emissions yearly than air travel and maritime travel emissions combined. That’s why we must change our buying habits and choose greener and more sustainable clothing.

One easy change you can make to your wardrobe is to choose sustainable materials over environmentally damaging fabrics. One of the most sustainable materials is Linen, and at Linen Handmade Studio, we’re crazy about the fabric.

So, if you’re wondering why Linen is an eco-friendly choice, you’re in the right place. In the following article written by Bethany Worthington from ecothes.com, we’ll discover the environmental benefits of Linen.

What is Linen?

Linen is a strong natural textile woven from cellulose fibers from the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is a naturally breathable and moisture-wicking fabric making it the perfect material to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.

Why is Linen an eco-friendly material?

Linen has many great environmental properties, which make it a great choice for anyone wanting to choose more sustainable clothing. We’ve highlighted the key reasons Linen is an eco-friendly fabric below.

why linen is an eco friendly choice

Linen uses less water

Cotton is the most popular natural fiber used in the fashion industry. But unfortunately, cotton uses vast amounts of water during the growth and spinning phase. On average, cotton production uses 44 trillion liters of water for irrigation annually - making it an unsustainable crop, especially in places where drought is common.

On the other hand, flax plants are water-efficient crops, meaning flax can be grown with 60% less water than cotton, meaning Linen production requires significantly less water than other fabrics.

The water-saving Linen provides compared to conventional cotton means there's more water available for drinking and it helps to protect valuable ecosystems such as rivers and forests.

Grown without harmful pesticides

Along with requiring vast quantities of water, cotton crops use more pesticides than any other natural fiber crop, amounting to approx $2 billion worth of pesticides every year. The chemicals used as pesticides can include heavy metals, Ammonia, and Chlorine, which can have adverse health effects on weavers and garment workers and cause pollution of surrounding areas, destroying ecosystems.

Flax plants are naturally pest-resistant, so they don’t require the levels of harmful pesticides used in cotton production. Not using toxic chemicals means Linen is safe even for sensitive skin. In addition, all of the fabrics we use at Linen Handmade Studio are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified meaning they’re free from any harmful or toxic chemicals.

why linen is an eco friendly choice

Linen is naturally biodegradable

Linen is a natural fabric that is entirely biodegradable and will return to the earth at the end of its life. We must shift towards biodegradable fabrics because we’re currently facing a huge textile waste problem.

It’s estimated that by 2030, there will be 148 million tons of fashion waste. Much of this waste includes fabrics like polyester and nylon, which aren’t biodegradable and will stick around the earth for hundreds of years.

By choosing Linen fabric over plastic-based materials like polyester, you can reduce the amount of harmful textile waste that’s polluting our planet.

Linen doesn’t rely on crude-oil

As we've discussed, Linen is a natural fiber grown from the flax plant. As a result, it saves water and chemicals and is biodegradable. Another reason Linen is an eco-friendly choice is because it requires less energy and doesn't rely on crude oil compared to other materials.

One of the most popular materials used in the fashion industry is polyester. However, polyester is a plastic-based material that relies on crude-oil and large amounts of energy to produce. By swapping polyester for Linen, you can save our planet's resources and reduce carbon emissions.

Linen is highly durable

Linen fabric is highly durable up to three times stronger than cotton and long-lasting, meaning your linen clothing will last season after season.

We've previously discussed the huge textile waste problem we're currently experiencing, and unfortunately one of the main reasons for a huge amount of textile waste is that people throw away poor quality clothing damaged after the first few wears.

By switching to linen clothing, you can cherish your linen clothing for years to come to help reduce textile waste and look great while saving the planet. Linen fabric also gets softer over time, meaning your clothing will actually get better over the years to come..

why linen is an eco firendly choice

Conclusion

Overall it's clear that Linen has many environmental benefits over other conventional fabrics like cotton or polyester, making it an eco-friendly choice for clothing.

At Handmade Linen Studio, we’re committed to creating sustainable clothing both ethically and as environmentally friendly as possible.For example, we locally source our high-quality Linen and handcraft every piece of clothing to order to reduce textile waste and save energy.

If you're looking for some eco-friendly linen inspiration, check out our favorite pieces below.

Author bio: Bethany is the co-founder and editor of Ecothes, a fashion and lifestyle platform dedicated to helping you live more sustainably.