Every year, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated by the fashion industry, which is why many brands and fashion companies are adopting circular fashion models to reduce waste. A circular model means creating a system where everything is reused and nothing is wasted.

Here are five fashion start ups that are employing effective waste control methods without sacrificing quality or style:

Dropel

Dropel is a New York based textile company producing the world’s highest performing cotton, or so they proudly claim. Their main goal is to produce the finest quality cotton while also pushing sustainability to the forefront of the fashion industry.

Dropel is currently leading in the innovation of natural fabrics to boost sustainable fashion. To make their cotton more durable, softer and long-lasting, they only use 100% organic pima cotton for their fabrics. They have been awarded the Bluesign standard for their excellent quality eco-friendly cotton.

Mud Jeans

Mud Jeans is a circular fashion company making jeans for men and women made from organic cotton and recycled materials. Mud jeans take 92% less water to produce than normal jeans, skipping the dyeing stage of the process. As well as making jeans that are closing the loop in sustainable fashion, their jeans are trendy, on-style and timeless.

As the world’s first circular denim brand, Mud Jeans applies the appropriate principles to their business to attain the organic seals of approval. This Dutch brand is certified B corporation, GRS and OEKO TEX Standard 100.

A.BCH

A.BCH is an Australian circular brand closing the loop in fashion. They’re aware of the huge buren that the fashion industry currently carries and so sustainable fashion is at the heart of their business.

They believe that most fashion brands out there at the moment aren’t being transparent enough when it comes to their sourcing and marketing, That’s why A.BCH design their creations using only organic, renewable and recycled materials. These include GOTS certified organic cotton, organic linen, hemo, tencel modal, recycled merino and more.

The brand produces classic pieces that never go out of style, meaning that they’re made to be cared for and kept for many years.

BEEN London

This refreshing London based brand creates gorgeous handbags from landfill waste. BEEN is an innovative brand that cares deeply about reducing waste and they currently execute their production methods with a highly effective circular model.

Certified Bluedesign and GRS, BEEN London is passionate about taking used materials and giving them a second life, encouraging their customers to incorporate sustainable fashion into their daily lives.

Stella McCartney

As a life-long vegetarian, Stella McCartney dreamed of opening a luxury fashion house that was eco-friendly and cruelty free. Dedicated to running a responsible and sustainable business, they employ circular business practices such as using recycled and reworked materials, sourcing viscose fabric and 100% organic.

Stella McCartney products are GOTS and Cradle To Cradle certified. They offer collections for casual wear, evening wear, lingerie, active wear as well as kidswear.

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Did you know that it takes on average 396 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans?

This is why sustainable fashion brands are deciding to take a stance on more responsible methods, as well as the use of recycled fabrics and organic cotton to combat the issue. Consumers of all ages and walks of life have a pair of denim jeans in their closet, so choosing garments that are eco-friendly is a collective effort.

Sustainable Denim Brands Leading by Example:

Etica Denim – Sustainable denim in Los Angeles

Based in Los Angeles, Etica lives up to its name with their principles rooted in fair labour and environmentally conscious manufacturing. As a vertically integrated company, the brand puts transparent sourcing at the top of their priorities when producing their denim jeans.

Certified Bluesign, Cradle To Cradle and GOTS, Etica has been recognised for its sustainable denim manufacturing practices. They drastically reduce water usage by 90% with their advanced washing techniques as well as 67% reduction in energy consumption.

The brand produces gorgeous denim jeans for women including many fits such as skinny, wide leg, flare, cropped and many more.

Boyish Jeans – Denim Jeans With a Vintage Vibe

Founded in California, Boyish Jeans is a sustainable fashion brand that creates women’s jeans. Designed in Los Angeles, the brand takes its inspiration from the LA streets, taking men’s fabrics and fits and tailoring them for women’s bodies. Their jeans have a revamped vintage and are for women who would describe their style as “Boyish”.

Focusing on quality and fit, Boyish carries out ethical practices by exclusively using recycled fabrics. They use less chemicals in the dyeing process and they have made strides in reducing water consumption, using a third of the usual amount that conventional denim requires.

By doing its part to reduce waste and minimize the environmental impact, Boyish has received Cradle To Cradle and GOTS certification for their efforts.

Triarchy – PETA Approved Denim

Triarchy is a sustainable denim brand that hopes to go far beyond making jeans, but to also educate their customers on mindful consumption and taking care of our garments. Another LA brand, Triarchy started out in 2011 with the goal to make great denim jeans.

However after a fews years into the business, they realized just how harmful making jeans the conventional way was to the environment. Since 2016, the brand has switched to ethical manufacturing processes to contribute to sustainable fashion. They only source from responsible suppliers and use organic cotton and tencel fibers that are GOTS certified.

Their jeans are completely cruelty free and are approved by PETA, without the use of animal bi-products. In addition, by employing methods that have removed the use of chemicals and restricted substances from the dyeing process, earning them OEKO-TEX certification.

They offer stylish and timeless denim jeans designed for women of all ages.

Unspun – Personalized Denim Jeans

Unspun is a digital apparel company that creates custom denim jeans for their customers to order. Based in San Francisco, the company has innovated their own method to combat the wasteful ways of the fashion industry.

Reducing global carbon emissions by 1%, they make their sustainable jeans with their own developed design technology. Their algorithm designs the perfect fit of jeans around the customer’s 3D avatar. This completely eliminates the need for inventory and massively reduces waste from conventional production methods. The customer chooses their fit, fabric, colour and thread height and width.

The company has successfully created a sustainable fashion brand that makes a difference to the planet  with their body-scan custom jeans for men and women. They proudly carry the GRS, GOTS and Better Cotton Initiative seals of certification.

DL1961 – an Eco Friendly Denim Mill

A family-run company, DL1961 is a denim mill that makes all of their jeans in-house. From the spinning, to weaving, to producing and finishing. Their eco-friendly mill is one of the leading denim manufacturers.

They produce premium quality denim by weaving premium eco-friendly fibers to create their sustainable denim. By carrying out all the stages of production at the same facility, they save more water, energy and resources. Conventional denim can be transported to several locations during the production stages before it gets to the consumer.

Carrying GOTS, OCS and GRS sustainable certification, DL1961 has optimized their vertical supply chain to control and audit the entire manufacturing process.

They offer denim jeans in multiple fits and styles for men, women and children.

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Fashion brands are making the conscious effort to switch sustainable fibers as well as implementing other responsible practices into their business.

Here are ten fiber networks working behind the scenes for your sustainable clothing that are approved by the certification bodies:

Plant-based Fibers – The Sustainable Apparel Option

1. Organic Cotton – A Solution to Synthetic Fibers

Organic cotton seeds are left untreated, whereas non-organic seeds are sprayed with insecticides and fungicides which are genetically modified. Then in the process of clothes manufacturing, non-organic cotton uses synthetic fibers.

No toxic chemicals are used to grow organic cotton, meaning that the soil, air and water are left uncontaminated. Therefore, organic cotton production produces around 46% less C02 emissions compared to normal cotton.

A few examples of innovative brands employing the use of organic cotton are People Tree, Soluna Collective and Beaumont Organic with beautiful, eco-friendly garments.

2. Bamboo – Affordable and Sustainable

Bamboo, which is a type of grass, is an organic crop that requires no fertilizer as it regenerates from its own roots.

Not only is bamboo strong and durable, but it also biodegrades. It’s an effective and affordable strategy to combat single use-plastics.

Many fashion brands such as Asquith Ltd and People of Leisure are choosing to opt for bamboo for their sunglass cases, and is also used as a strong alternative to conventional cotton used in fabrics.

3. Hemp – An Answer to Energy Costs

Hemp is a weed so it grows with rainwater and no pesticides, making it environmentally sustainable. While trees take years to grow, hemp can be grown in a few months. Every part of the plant can be used, reducing the amount of waste from production.

Fibers are made from the stalk’s outer bast and used for textile manufacturing. The weaving process can be done organically through a mechanical process that requires no chemicals.

People of Leisure and Wama are harnessing the power of hemp to relieve some of the pressure of wasting the planet’s resources.

4.  Organic Linen – An Eco Friendly Fiber

Linen is an earth-friendly fabric because it’s made from flax, an eco-conscious crop. Flax crops only actually make up about 1% of the earth’s farmland, and so true organic linen is very rare.

The flax industry is small to begin with because it can only be planted on the same crop every seven years.

And so, by making the choice to buy organic linen products, you’re supporting the growth of the flax industry and the farmers who grow it. It may be a tad more expensive but it’s better for the soil and improves biodiversity.

Take Arielle for example, a fashion label that boasts simple, sexy and sustainable style. Based in New York, the brand is committed to using sustainable resourced materials including organic linen.

5. Piñatex – Saving Environmental Resources

Piñatex is a natural fiber made from the waste leaves of the pineapple plant. As the leaves would be otherwise discarded, it’s produced without any additional environmental resources.

Through a process called decortication, the long fibres of the leaves are extracted and then put through a machine. Then, the leaves are degummed and then turned into a non-woven mesh, which becomes the base of piñatex.These mesh rolls are transported to Spain for specialized finishing.

Piñatex has a leather-like finish which is soft, flexible and durable. Brands such as Momoc Shoes and Jarod-Pi are examples of fashion labels using this fiber.

Cellulose Fibers, the environmentally sustainable alternative

6. Lycocell – Versatile and Non-Toxic

Lyocell is an environmentally sustainable man-made fiber material, made from wood cellulose or pulp by a solvent spinning process. The solvent, amine oxide is non-toxic. It’s an especially versatile fabric used in bed linen, denim, shirts, trousers and towels.

Lyocell is environmentally friendly because it’s naturally biodegradable and the farming process doesn’t require irrigation or pesticides.

The sustainable properties of lyocell products have made it an extremely popular material in the fashion and textile industry and a strong contender of cotton. Kaftan is an example of an  eco-conscious fashion brand that uses lyocell for their flowy summer dresses.

7. Rayon – A Semi-Synthetic Fiber

Rayon is a versatile fiber made from natural sources of cellulose, such as wood and other agricultural resources. It’s considered to be semi-synthetic as it does require certain chemicals to be produced.

Rayon is often blended with other fibers such as cotton and polyester. Rayon isn’t as durable as other fabrics but it’s often a popular choice for airy summer wear.

For example. Zoha is an innovative brand with slow fashion and eco-friendly materials at the heart of its business. Zoha products range from bold colours to patchwork designs and floral accessories, which make great choices for a summer wardrobe.

Also, G By Gregory Joseph is an upscale fashion label that creates luxury pieces made with rayon.

8. Viscose – Sustainable and Luxurious

The most common type of rayon is viscose. It has a lot in common with cotton as it’s breathable and moisture-absorbent, making it a great choice for athletic wear. It’s relatively inexpensive compared to other fibers and it can give lower budget labels a luxury feel.

It also blends well with cotton, polyester and spandex. However like rayon, the production uses concentrations of chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide.

Masai Clothing Company Aps is a Danish brand that produces scarfs and dresses that are light and airy from viscose.

Animal-Based Fibers that Add Quality

9. Cashmere wool – A Natural Fiber

Cashmere is the perfect way to add a luxurious feel to clothing. Cashmere is a natural fiber obtained from cashmere goats, and is finer and stronger than conventional wool. The goats hairs are woven into incredibly soft garments that are long-lasting.

The Cashmere goat breed is found between Mongolia, Southwest China, Iran, Tibet, Northern India and Afghanistan. These goats shed their coats naturally when the temperatures in these regions rise. Then it’s combed, sorted, cleaned and refined before being sold to companies.

La Sororité is a sustainable luxury brand that supports female workers in Nepal. The brand only uses cashmere for their sweatshirts as it’s ethical and gives that extravagant feel.

10. Silk – A Chinese Art

Silk fiber is made naturally by insects as a material for their nests and cocoons. These insects include beetles, honey bees, hornets and many more. Silk filament is extracted by brushing the cocoon.

The art of silk making began in China around 4,000 years ago, and then little by little Chinese immigrants brought this fine art to the Middle East, Europe and then eventually to the rest of the world.

The cocoons are sorted by their colour and texture, then they are unravelled and the fiber is wound, with up to six filaments to create a single thread. Silk has an incredibly soft texture and gives off a sheen, shiny look.

French brand Olistic The Label uses 100% organic silk and cotton certified by GOTS for their  jumpsuits, blouses, dresses and trousers.

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