I'd love to see a video about the sustainability of different building materials since it's such a complex issue. Like even though concrete is so emissions intensive, many people in Australia use it as flooring to passively heat their homes in winter or keep the interior cooler in summer.
🧵 High school sewing teacher from 🇨🇦 here… hemp was once the everything plant. Hundreds of years ago it was used to make everything from sails and rope to paper and fabric. I’m waiting for it to make a comeback and wondering why it is taking so long? 🤷🏻♀️ I don’t see hemp fabric in the sewing stores… I am hoping this will change in the very near future. I just gotta say this: The textiles industry is incredibly wasteful… I have seen bolts of fabric stacked to the ceiling in giant textile warehouses. Massive amounts of fabric gets tossed before it even hits the fabric stores. Textiles waste is more rampant than food waste, perhaps just not as widespread nor is it in the public eye. It is shocking… the textiles industry desperately needs to clean up their act. I’ll stop here before I get on a serious rant… Thanks Gittemary for this informative video. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🧵🪡
@@lilynoir3939 Thanks for your awesome comment… and yes, I agree 💯 with you that modern processing can refine the tactile sensation of hemp. I’m just not sure why this is it taking so long? Have a great day Lily. Ⓜ️ary
I do know a small, cottage industry sized, shepherd who raises gulf coast sheep. She raises her flock free range on non-treated pasture, and specifically chose this breed because, while they produce less wool, they are hardy and self sufficient while being gentle on the land. I highly suggest looking around for your local, small producers- for food and fabric. They are the ones producing goods we all need in a sustainable manner and they need support to survive. The wool industry is not sustainable. But your local shepherd is accountable to you, their flock, and the earth.
It’s important to not only think about the environment when picking fabrics but also other animals! Wearing animal skin or hair/wool etc is unethical and awful for the animals so not worth it even if they’re raised and treated well till death or till they’re sheared.
@@DracoTriste I think wool is the least of my problems as someone who doesn’t eat meat, consume dairy or wear leather. I’d go as far as to say you should ignore people who become incredibly illogical around wool production and don’t want to have a discussion around it without them just saying “wool is bad for the sheep”. There aren’t many alternatives to wool like there are for leather so it really hasn’t been replaced yet in my opinion. Whilst the practices around wool can be incredibly unethical (like Gittemary mentioned) I live in a place that can have a cold winter climate and sometimes wool is the best option under my waterproof. Acrylic is nowhere near as warm as wool and wool will not contribute to plastic pollution if discarded properly.
stinging nettle has been used for centuries in slavic cultures for making clothes (especially the special occasion ones, bcs it’s believed to have protective magical properties)
I like linen because it's supposed to be wrinkly! Nobody thinks I'm a slob if I have a linen tunic or trousers on and it's creased. And they are casual and comfy! 👍
I used to work for a high street brand in the UK as a shop assistant. Applied there because most of their fabrics seemed to be natural fibres, barely any acrylic and polyester. But over the 4 years of working there, hemp was introduced for mens wear (cool) and phased out again (not cool) and more and more synthetic fabric mixes were used. The Christmas jumpers were suddenly not made with wool anymore, but 100% acrylic. The swimwear was made from "recycled ocean plastics", advertised with happy people in welly boots taking a little bit of rubbish out of a (presumably) English coastline. The quality of the clothes just dropped massively, which was really sad. It's been many years and I sort of still follow them online, but there are more and more customer complaints about how they're just like any other high street brand now. I still have many clothes from there that I wear, and supplement with second hand whenever I can, and this overview of sustainable materials is very interesting, thank you! I really want to try clothing made from hemp or stinging nettle to see how it compares.
Yes, part 2 please. Can you also talk about the issues of how unsustainable fabrics are often the only thing that is affordable for some and this creates an endless cycle. Are there ways to combat this?
I need a video about unsustainable materials! :D AAAAND maybe a video about shops in Europe (I am from Germany), which sell new clothing from hamp or linen or tencel or... the other mantioned sustainable materials. It is quite difficult to look for such fabrics in "normal" shops.
afends has hemp and organic cotton, Love and Confuse has linen and is Oeko Tex certified, organic basics and armedangels (which is from Germany if I remember correctly) have tencel. Hope this helps. I did try Afends, organic basics and armedangels and I had a good experience with all of them!
Fantastic as always Gittemary. Just one small thing - natural rubber straight from the tree, or minimally processed, is biodegradable. However, most products marketing as ‘natural rubber’ have been cross-linked with sulphur or another catalyst to provide the properties and durability required for the application. The cross-linking is permanent and stops the material being biodegradable.
I second this! Would be curious about the impact of things like laminate and vinyl especially, since they are so durable and can last a very long time.
I have only ever seen Hemp clothing being sold in Cape Town South Africa. It can also be used as a building material and apparently for food. I was disappointed to learn that bamboo is not very sustainable 😔, it's such a soft material 😍. I will definitely keep an eye out for the accreditation certificate on clothing 👍😊
I definitely want to see the most unsustainable fabrics video! As a maker, I’m so curious about how buying the materials and skipping the manufacturing or production of products impacts the overall sustainability. I know that things I’m making are ethically made (by me), but I’m often unsure about if my handknit wool is just as bad as buying a wool coat or if my handmade viscose shirt is any different than purchasing a viscose shirt, etc
i loved this video so much! i'm in junior in hs right now so i dont have any of my own money but i've been trying to research sustainable brands, options, ect. for daily living that i could buy when i need to in the future. fabrics are something i never thought about i just knew polyester was terrible and ofc that is what most of my clothes are made out of sadly. i usually buy from goodwill a second hand store in my area because its just cheaper and the quality is so much better in my opinion even tho its reusign materials i just love it. i always see brands that arent relaly eco-friendly but still have like their care tag saying its made out of recycled materials yet the who item of clothing is not. my goal is to find things that people with limited recourses can use if they want to live sustainably like myself. anyone have any reccomendations for clothing brands in particular that are sustainable, and treat their workers fairly?
Extremely helpful, thank you so much! The way you talk and explain is so clear and easy to understand, highly appreciate your time to make these videos!!!
Im reading When The Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce in an Environmental Case Studies class right now. It's really great if you're interested in reading about the topic of water over-usage. Its a few years old now, and can be a little aggravating to read... But something not everyone always thinks about when looking at where goods are produced.
GitterMary thanks for sharing this video. It was great to be given the information about materials whether they are sustainable or not. Yes a part two would be appreciated. Love 🥰 the video and love 💕 GitterMary.
Hi Gittemary! I have a video request. Could you (if you haven’t already) do a deeper dive into micro plastics? Someone I know was once kinda arguing that “if plastics break down into smaller and smaller plastics over time, then don’t they eventually become nothing?” - therefore how bad can plastic REALLY be. I briefly explained the impacts of micro plastics on marine life and our own bodies, however, it’d be great to hear your take on it. I know this is still a developing topic of study too. 👍
Wow awesome video as always 🔥🔥🔥 I have also recently heard that clothes made from recycled plastic bottles aren't that good because Plastik bottles are ussually in a good working recycling system and turning them into clothes that can't be recycled because of mixed materials is kinda missing the point. Would love to hear your opinion on that!
Great video Gittemary. I'm doing my first research into the textile industry now, and it's soooo overcrowded with certifications and the potential for greenwashing. I think you did a great job with this video, though! Good for beginners to make better shopping choices. I will say that one of aspects not mentioned in the video, or at least briefly mentioned, is product End-of-Life (EoL). Most of the good materials Gittemary mentioned derive from plant-based sources, and so, naturally, those materials would return to where they came from: the earth. This is composting, etc. This might not always be the case tho! Many laws around the world require textile producers to specify the percent composition of materials existing in a given fabric *with* the given fabric, often via a tag or label. So, you might see 100% cotton or 95% TENCEL™ / 5% elastane/spandex. But these laws only require those labels to specify materials *up to a certain percent composition of the total weight of the textile.* So, a 100% cotton textile may in reality be 98% cotton with 2% polyester thrown in to the pockets of, say, jeans or the cuffs of a sweater or the necks of long socks to give thise garments greater support. This means that some textiles, or perhaps even a majority, are *not* 100% plant-based as their labels claim. Luckily, some brands know about this, and are choosing to forego polyester-based sewing threads in exchange for plant-based threads, like cotton. Issue here is that cotton-based sewing threads may be of an entirely different origin from the bulk material of the fabric. The fabric may be certified GOTS organic, for example, but the sewing threads might be GMO cotton grown with tons of pesticides. For most people this isn't an issue, but for people with drastic skin conditions, those residual pesticides can leading to people breaking out and having allergic reactions. But the other issue with these covert materials is that they make the majority of textiles non-compostable unless the user does some deconstruction, perhaps by removing tbe sewing threads and whatnot. Big hassle. Solution? Have manufacturers specify *ALL* materials used in a garment? You'd think In the meantime, brands that take this seriously, from what I can tell, tend to market towards the hypoallergenic crowd, so I would append your shopping searches with those kinds of tags. Hope this helped someone!
5:09 Slight (actually huge) elaboration. Lyocell may be the generic name for some fibers in the economy, but the term actually refers to the chemical process called the Lyocell process. The Lyocell process transforms cellulose (often from wood) into rayon through the use of a solvent and other chemicals. Rayon is just cellulose but with all the fibers aligned in mostly the same direction, similar to how you would imagine the lines of metal dust aligning next to a magnet, as opposed to being chaotically arranged. Aligning these cellulose building blocks allows one to craft more macroscopic "staple fibers" (fiber bundles), or even full on filaments (fiber wires) if fancy enough, as opposed to chaotic alignments that would make fiber making hard and, perhaps, paper making easier. This is why you'll see the maker of TENCEL™, Lenzing, refer to the above as "Lyocell fibers", denoting how the output of the Lyocell process is fibers. The same is true for Viscose and Modal, but the chemicals used are much nastier. Viscose more generally in the economy refers to the fibers themselves, but in actuality it is the Viscose process that transforms the cellulose input to a rayon (aligned cellulose) output. You'd see Lenzing call it "Viscose fibers", not just viscose. Modal refers to a slightly modified Viscose process. Lenzing also further qualifies this fiber as being mostly made from Beechwood as opposed to being made from a wide variety of tree species, unlike Lyocell and Viscose fibers. I'm not sure if Modal is mostly beechwood in the market. Lenzing is also finnicky in their branding of all of these fibers, too. Depending on whether the fibers will be sold to businesses or consumers, Lenzing will call the same product different names. For Lenzing-to-Business fibers, the products are exclusively called LENZING™ Lyocell, Modal, or Viscose fibers. For Lenzing-to-Consumer fibers, there is another classification to consider. Depending on whether the fibers will be used for Lenzing-to-Consumer woven or non-woven purposes, Lenzing will call the same product different names. If LENZING™ fibers are destined for woven applications, then they're called TENCEL™ or LENZING™ ECOVERO™. TENCEL™ can be made from the Lyocell or Modal processes, making it TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers or TENCEL™ Modal fibers. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ refers to fibers made from a Viscose process that is actually much better than the traditional one you'd find making traditional viscose on the market, but the result is LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose fibers. If LENZING™ fibers are destined for non-woven applications, then they're called VEOCEL™. These are restrained specifically to Lyocell and Viscose fibers, making it VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers and "VEOCEL™ Viscose fibers with Eco Care technology" (a mouthfull). (Eco Care is the same tech they use for ECOVERO™, but with fibers destined for non-wovens instead of wovens). Another example of Lenzing's finnicky-ness is when they call the end product a different name depending on the process that made it. Lenzing uses recycled cotton in the making of some of their LENZING™ TENCEL™ fibers, where the branding they use here is TENCEL™ × REFIBRA™. Early on, Lenzing wanted to call fibers made from any partial fraction of recycled material Refibra™ fibers, but have since made the change to refer to REFIBRA™ as the chemical process that transforms partial recycled input into specifically TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers at the output. If the desired fibers are used for non-wovens, then they refer to the same process as Eco Cycle, as in "VEOCEL™ Viscose fiber with Eco Cycle technology". Note that Eco Care =\= Eco Cycle. Eco Care reduces waste products of the Viscose process by about 50% as per the EU Ecolabel Lenzing wants to slap onto their VEOCEL™ product. And again, "VEOCEL™ Viscose fiber with Eco Care technology" (non-woven) = LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose fiber (woven). Eco Cycle is just REFIBRA™ for non-wovens. Lots of stupid nuances!!!! Gah!!!! Anyways I hope youre better informed :) Sources: 2016-2022 Lenzing Sustainability Reports.
Stinging nettle based clothes were much more common in the past. My grandpa used to say shit about them all the time, but probably the ones he had when he was young weren't good quality. I should look it up. Like, maybe they restarted using them because of some war and a less easy access to cotton (?). I don't know but if I find something about it I'll come back!
This is such a great video! Thank you for putting wool in the "gray area" category, rather than demonizing it based on limited information. There are certainly issues with the wool industry (as there are with any large-scale global industry), but there are also a lot of benefits and possibilities that wool presents as a sustainable material. An irony of some groups *coughcough* PETA *coughcough* relentlessly villainizing wool and actively spreading anti-wool propaganda is that one of the reasons that the meat and wool industries are so intertwined--as you point out--is because the use of and demand for wool has dropped off so dramatically in recent decades. As plastic manufacturers have pushed acrylic and polyester as cheaper, "easier-care" alternatives to things that were traditionally made out of wool (sweaters, rugs, hats, upholstery, etc.), sheep farmers have seen the price of wool plummet, meaning that it's not even financially feasible to sell their flock's wool each year. This has lead to farmers focusing more on the meat side of the business and burning or composting PERFECTLY GOOD AND USEFUL WOOL while consumers buy more "fleece" jackets made out of plastic that are harmful to produce and will shed microplastics throughout their lifecycles. Obviously the issues within the wool industry need to be addressed, and I understand if some people feel uncomfortable buying something new that came from animal agriculture. But this is definitely a case in which we should be looking to fix the system, not burn it down--because the plastics industry has done a pretty good job of that already. Also, if you want a joyful, adorable example of sheep and sheep farmers being part of the solution, look at how sheep are being used to keep grass short around solar panels, so that the plants don't interfere with renewable energy generation. They're able to get in around the panels in ways that mechanical lawn mowers can't, and they aren't powered by fossil fuels that would pollute the air with carbon and tons of harmful particulate matter. Flocks of sheep are also being used in wildfire-prone areas like California to manage the vegetation that could become fuel for deadly fires. If these amazing animals (I didn't even go into how rotational grazing can revitalize soils and sequester carbon...) can also provide us with natural, organic, anti-microbial, insulating, biodegradable fibers, we should definitely be using those climate-beneficial superpowers to get us off plastic and connect more deeply with the earth.
Sheeps wool being a good insulator isn’t a reason to exploit them! There’s no need for it as we have plenty of alternatives to choose from - whether second hand or sustainable options xx
@@claudiabone1288 We do not have adequate alternatives when it comes to insulation and elasticity, and the closest analogs are plastics, which are still poor substitutes and are derived from fossil fuels. They are incredibly polluting in their production and throughout their use, as they release microplastics into the water supply every time they're washed. Sheep were one of the very first animals that humans domesticated, about 10,000 years ago. We have been interdependent ever since, and at this point most sheep need humans in order to survive. No animal should be harmed or mistreated, and we definitely need to rethink the scale and some of the practices of the wool industry. If you personally feel uncomfortable buying new wool right now, I totally understand, and you are free to purchase it secondhand or choose plant fiber alternatives if you live in a climate that makes that possible. But secondhand only goes so far. Sheep are incredibly important to human existence--for cultural, survival, and sustainability reasons. We continue to discover ways in which they are vital, such as in improving soil health and providing naturally temperature regulating and flame retardant bedding materials. Not to mention they're adorable. Saying that you don't want sheep to be "exploited" is saying that you want them to go extinct. Our fates have been intertwined for millennia, and the most ethical and responsible thing we can do at this point in human and ovine history is to continue to care for them, give them safe and dignified lives, and make full use of their wool--which in most cases needs to be shorn at least once a year for their own health. If wool can also help us eliminate plastics from our lives, then all the better. I hope this has helped provide some insight into the nuances of the world of wool. In the future, I would encourage you to do more thorough research into the issues at play before making sweeping and misleading claims.
@@alicehale5677 I would suggest you watch Earthing Ed's videos on this topic, as he explains things better than I can: ruclips.net/video/RE2mhaoUNaE/видео.html . Also I would like to point out that I'm not advocating for us to just abandon sheep or have them go extinct. That would be awful. I'm saying for us to stop mass breading them, and take care of them, without exploiting them and taking their wool. I know that they need to be sheared because we have bread them to be like this. So in taking care of them we should shear them. However using their wool for ourselves is still exploitation. Our default should not be exploitation whether we know want the sheep would want or not. Just because we have done something in the past also does not mean we should keep doing it. Slavery existed and I'm sure you wouldn't suggest it carries on justifying it with "We've done it for x amount of years" so that is no reason. I would encourage you to have a plant based diet if you don't already for the environment, and go vegan for the animals who deserve none of this exploitation and suffering. I would also encourage you to do some research into these issues at play before making sweeping and misleading claims.
Thank you for this video! All the types of fabrics out there right now are so mind boggling. I'd love to see videos on the impacts of the types of vegan leathers and the less sustainable materials. It helps so much to have good information condesed in a video form! It helps so much on my sustainablity journey 😊
Very informative, Gittemary. Thank you so much for sharing this information. It is helpful. Although for myself, I rarely buy clothes. Most of my wardrobe is at least 10 years old and was already secondhand when I got it. ;) Good to know what to look for when I do buy. ♥
I would love a video about unsustainable materials. What material is vegan that is as warm as wool? Fleece for example isnt nearly as warm, I cant survive winter without my wool socks because of raynauds and I live in a cold climate but I would love to hear what other materials there are out there.
In my mind, the criteria for sustainability are necessity, functionality, durability, longevity and safety(to make produce and wear). In my estimation, organic materials score the highest in all of these categories accept cotton which more highly resource intensive to produce. Organic materials last longer than synthetics and degrade naturally when they reach end of life. The are safer on our skin and for the environment. They function better in all contexts from cotton in warmer weather to wool in colder weather. Better breathe ability and antibacterial properties. When washed they don’t release harmful plastics into the water system and environment. I work in a retail store selling lifestyle wear. What Ive noticed is a movement more towards synthetic materials. Polyester is the predominant material now. The fleece craze has caused massive spikes in synthetic clothing being consumed. These fleeces are 100% polyester. The fluffy fibres are micro plastic fibres. When you brush a fleece these fibres are easily released into the atmosphere. When get fibre dust collecting very quickly in the shop resting in shelves etc. This is mostly plastic fibres. We are breathing these in throughout the day. The problem is not the use of animal based products. The problem is over consumption. Every year millions of tons of fabrics both synthetic an organic are produced to feed consumer culture driven by the delusional need for novel fashion. We get new lines of clothing every season, the old gets marked down and sent to the warehouse where some of it sits for years and eventually goes thru the outlet. All the while consumers update their wardrobe annually. Sustainability lies in consuming what you need when you need it. The used market is flooded with perfectly good garments. I buy mostly in charity shops and will only buy new if I scoured the internet and cannot find what Im looking for and I absolutely need something. I can fit all my clothes in one large suitcase and I still don’t wear everything. I love my wool jumpers all bought from charity shops which collectively cost me less the £100. Thats just one example.
Regarding video ideas: would it be possible for you to compile a list or create a hierarchy of the most damaging habits, practices etc.? Sometimes we are required to choose between options ant I would love your help choosing the least damaging option. Thanks in advance :-)
Love this! Like even though I’m vegan, I often wonder if canned or dry (in a plastic bag) beans are more sustainable, or if liquid conditioner from the bulk store is more sustainable than solid conditioner shipped to me (in terms of shipping liquid vs. solids, commercial shipping vs retail shipping)
Do you feel that "longevity" plays into a fabric being more sustainable? Linen and wool wears thin and rips more easily, this requiring replacement sooner than some other materials. Just wondering. Great video!
Knit wools can be repaired with a bit of learning. For linen it really depends on the garment I think, but I am in the process of repairing/restyling a linen skirt with a very visible hole in the front. I save scraps for quilts and even smaller scraps to stuff pillows. With some creativity and skills, good quality fabric can be repaired and repurposed. But this is not a skill set that everyone has the privilege to learn or the time to practice. What is the most sustainable thing for an individual often comes down to their own needs and abilities.
I have a beautiful wool poncho I had made in 1972 when I was in Peru when I was in the Peace Corps. It's great for spring and fall wear. Good quality wool knit wear lasts a long time!
Thank you for this video, I think this is one of my favorite from you so far. I’ve wondered about all of these materials before when buying from sustainable brands so it is very helpful to have all this information put together.
8:35 yeah and the reason why bamboo might be terrible is because most of the market's bamboo comes from China where the traditional Viscose process is more prevalent than the more responsible one declared by the EU and supported by Lenzing (see my other comment). It's possible that bamboo could be more sustainable in the future if Lenzing or another company adopts a modernized, responsible Viscose process that reduces nasty chemicals and waste residues, but those projects are just getting started if they've started at all.
Does anyone know what type of sustainable fabrics would be best to look for when in extremely cold environments? It gets crazy cold where I live so heavy, thick winter jackets and snow pants can be a MUST lol
10:34 Yep, and I would be more specific to just call it rayon. You can make rayon via a number of processes: thermal (pressure steaming), mechanical (scutching), biological (retting), chemical (lyocell/viscose), etc. as long as what you start with has a fraction of cellulose in it. Right now we have names like "tencel" for wood-based (lyocell-)rayon and "cupro" for cotton-based (lyocell/viscose-)rayon, so I'd imagine we might eventually have a brand name for bamboo-based (lyocell/viscose-)rayon eventually once some giant mega corporation coins the name and it's use is widespread around the world. Anyone have any good names? Maybe bambel? Boocel? 🤣
Very good video as always 👍 I was wondering about your views on wool yarn? It seems to me that yarn tends to have a much more transparent production? Like alpaca and llama wool for example from smaller companies, ive seen a lot of those. And sheep wool as well but I havent seen that that much.
Gittemary thanks! Check out Czech company Nilmore and their cPLA material which is 100% recyclable. They even have circular points, shops where you can return your used clothes and they use it to make new ones in closed loop. I just wish instead of boring sweathers they started with pieces of clothing that breaks really often like socks, underwear, tshirts etc...
"vegan leather" is just polyvinyl, it's eventually just better to buy one pair of good leather shoes than five "vegan leather" shoes because they chip or break in like two months.
wich brands make clothes from hemp or linnen of something? Cuz I don't know any. some do 100% cotton (for hoodies for example, t shirts are from 100% cotton al the time). Most of the time hoodies are made from a mix of cotton and polyester.
In my experience, bamboo, although lovely next to the skin, does not have a very long life. I no longer buy bamboo clothes for thst reason. Thanks for the very interesting Video.
Just in time Gittemary! Super cool overview as always 😍 Just this week I got most of my black basics stollen from our shared basement laundry room. They were not from expensive or even sustainable brands but I haven't had to purchase these things since many many years .. and I was really proud of it :( I prefer not to dwell on the reasons why someone would take these items, I believe it has to be someone with a very difficult life to put themselves through such a strange endeavour. All I know is that now I find myself needing to shop for new basics... (I hate shopping). Please guys leave here some suggestions of brands (preferably available and produced in Europe). I go for a minimalist basic style with nice sustainable materials. Thank you 😘😘😘
Gittemary has a whole blog post on brands she stands behind, aka thinks their sustainable efforts are effective and geniune, including several brands who focus on basics! And the brands are largely European I believe. The link is up in the description under "eco brands I stand by"
Haha what you say about the rosie image of wool compared to leather is like milk vs meat, I mean, no, technically the cow does not have to die for the milk, but actually it does :')
As for wool: if the animal is subject to high welfare standards-non mulesing for example and comes from an organic farm I don't see a problem personally. Far less air miles than vegan alternatives and there is no vegan alternative that is as warm as animal fibres like wool and alpaca. It also supports local producers/farmers and production and incineration of plastic yarn clothing like acrylic and nylon is hardly eco friendly. I've very rarely found second hand wool jumpers in my size where I live so that's not an alternative for me.
I agree! I feel the same way about eggs. Where I live it’s not uncommon for people to have a couple of chickens just running around in their yard and they sell the extra eggs to neighbors. The chickens will lay the eggs regardless and I don’t see the problem when they are treated well and it’s not commercialized/ industrialized.
With these situations feeding the eggs back to the chickens is the best thing to do as they lose so many nutrients when making the eggs that they can gain back by eating their eggs!
Even if they’re treated well it’s still exploitation! Their wool was never meant for us and shouldn’t be taken from them. And I know the reality is at this point a lot of the sheep need to be sheared as they’ve been bread to overproduce wool so in these situations shearing them and then giving the wool back in terms of making beds or spreading it into nature to be used as bird nests Is the best thing to do xx
@@claudiabone1288 Who says it shouldn't be taken from them? How do you know what the sheep feel about it? Have you seen sheep being shorn? I have and they appear to feel nothing other than relief to have a heavy wool coat taken off in early Summer. Lots of indigenous peoples use sheep and other animal wool and hides for clothing, would you tell them wool was never meant for them? I'm Irish and indigenous to my country where sheep have been farmed for over 6000 years. I support farmers and producers here who sell wool from a native sheep breed which is ethically farmed and treated-I know the wool co-op members. The breed was facing extinction due to other faster breeding meat and wool sheep breeds being farmed. Now the breed has been saved because of the value and utility of their unique fleece. This breed is adapted to the Irish landscape over thousands of years of evolution and supports biodiversity in the Irish countryside and acts as a carbon sink. They also represent part of the heritage, history, the way-of-life and the landscape of an area and so have unique cultural value. I know about over production, I use wool for knitting and other crafts. I do not support breeds like merino for example because of this, I buy wool and tops from breeds adapted to the temperate climate of Ireland and occasionally from the UK.
@@claudiabone1288 And BTW-sheep's wool is used by birds here for nesting without any human intervention. Fleece often gets snagged on sticks and branches of shrubs and hedges or barbed wire as they graze. Apart from that unfortunately because of EU regulations currently wool is classified as category three waste, along with animal carcasses. By virtue of this categorisation, farmers are prevented from spreading wool on their farms for use as a fertiliser or as compost. Bedding I don't know about, would have to look that up.
Hi Gittemary, I do love your content as it's most educational I've seen sofar, however there is one topic I haven't seen much coverage anywhere, but I do think it's important to talk about (especially now) - environmental impact of war. It clear how much of an impact it has socially, psychologically and economically, but what about impact on environment and what can one do about it? It's not fun topic to talk about, however it would be good to know. Thanks for your time anyways! :)
How has the rubber industry change lately? I think I remember it was one of the main source to deforestations in the rainforest back in the days before they found a way to produce rubber from petroleum. I would assume it could be again if everyone starts to buy it.
I have 100% gots cotton leggings, that are very nice. Living Crafts makes these. But I mostly just skip them. Woman should worry less about their legs and just show them, no matter some cellulite or visible vains. I mostly wear vintage cotton shorts during sports.
I just wanted to say 2nd hand anything is better than buying new. Especially the unsustainable materials because if you know you’re going to like it and keep it for a very long time then it’s fine.
I like your videos! You're dives are really interesting. While it does revitalize the soil I'm worried about when it becomes more widely produced and big farmers won't let it do that (I know the pros and cons for till vs no till). Also fun fact! It uses the same soil nutrients as corn, but it will probably still need to be rotated with soy for the same reason even with revitalization. My thoughts on wool is that some left out info seems disingenuous. Yes sheep have been bred to have longer wool but that is like saying original corn vs modern (minus GMO but that ISN'T bad either) but even "ancient sheep breeds" still have to be sheered for their health. So this was done over centuries. Your phrasing makes it seem like its recent like "domesticating" foxes or different cat "breeds" that can't really be tricked genetically. I really can't say for the ethical practices I've grown up around pig and cow (my family didn't but locally) so I'm more comfortable talking about small farm practices around that and not sheep. But I'd guess that it is much the same.
Most of my clothes are made from linen because I love the look. But it wears out so easily that I’m starting to give up on the material. I really think that longevity should be a factor in how sustainable a material is, and linen is sadly not up to the task. I have also had expensive bed linens made from linen that was supposed to last me years (the company even used it as a selling point) but it wore out in just one year. It literally got so thin you could easily see through it and it started to rip everywhere. I followed all washing instructions and didn’t tumble dry it. I still don’t get if I have some sort of curse when it comes to linen or if companies are just lying about the quality. I would love to hear other peoples experiences with linen because it’s my favorite material and I really, really wished it withstood wear and tear better.
I have a Ferguson Irish linen sheet that is hard wearing, no holes after years of use. They've been making linen bedding since 1854 so have a long lineage. I also buy linen from a company in Wexford here to make into clothing which I'm very happy with. Linen is indeed expensive so can understand your frustration if what you bought is not the quality you expected.
A lot of products are mislabeled as vegan, simply because they are not made from animals. But veganism, as defined by the vegan community, does not just mean not involving animals. Veganism is a dedication to reducing an ending unnecessary harm. This could be harm to animals, it can be harm to people, it can be hard to the environment. This is why we have movements like freeganism, Where traditionally non-vegan products are recycled, reused, or otherwise prevented from becoming waste. The reason veganism is so often associated with simply being plant-based, or rather not animal-based, is simply because animal agriculture is the most blatant and widespread form of unnecessary harm.
I would cut Lyocell/Tencell out of the list. The material is only great on paper. It sucks if you have clothing with it, as it has horrible characteristics. It is a magnet for grease stains that don't come out, and it looses colour easily on wrinkles. A 3 times washed lyocell dress can already look garbage. It is not anywhere close to a vintage piece from viscose. I also want to do a plead for polyester/nylon for one single use: swimwear. If you care about microplastics, polyester swimwear performs way better than anything else, except maybe vintage Lastex. Grab any vintage 100% polyester or 100% nylon swimsuit from the sixties, and it will be basically like new. No other swimwear fabric performs that well in the key aspects: elasticity, durability, keeping colour and resisting chlorine. If you buy new, make sure you get 100% polyester swimwear. The choice is limited, as you mostly see it for frequent use training suits by Speedo, Zoggs and the like, or if you are a bikini lover check their beach volley lines for 100% poly offerings. Lastex is another magical fabric, it is heavy like crazy, you stay wet in it for a day after you get out of the pool, but its cotton woven around natural rubber is something out of this world. You feel instant Marilyn Monroe in it, and these suits are 70 years old as they were only made into the late fifties. Swimsuits from lastex are like high couture, the fabrics are magnificent, especially the ones with woven floral or checker patterns in gloss/matte threads.
@@greenknitter It's better that someone has made some use of them than if the fabrics/clothes going straight to landfill! It's actually a little bit selfish to only think of what *you* send to landfill. (I used to think like that, unfortunately...) I now think we're all equally responsible for the current landfill waste and the future landfill waste. So don't be scared to make use of something that won't last forever and can't be recycled, etc (if it's second hand). :) And alot of well-made synthetics can actually last a really really long time. I bought a synthetic 70s blouse that loooks brand new, for example.
@@bethdahl3741 Of course it's better someone else makes use of them than going to landfill right away, but my question still stands. If you buy second hand man made fibre clothing that doesn't biodegrade, what then when you can't wear it any longer? When it eventually becomes old, worn, torn, bleached out etc, how can you dispose of it in an ecologically responsible way? Genuine question because seems to me there is no other option than landfill or incineration and while it's good to get another use from synthetics it's just delaying the inevitable - going to landfill or incineration, whether it went there in the 1970s or in 2022 or however long more you will wear your blouse for example. Once the item is made it's in the environment forever unless burned or buried or it breaks up on land or sea... tragically. And burning is not much better as incinerators release poisonous dioxins. Yes we are all responsible for how we dispose of our clothing in the least harmful way, but I don't buy any man made chemically treated materials for many reasons, so am not perpetuating this current waste crisis. If everyone only bought biodegradable fabric clothing the waste crises would end because there would be no market for non-biodegradable clothing that can lasts centuries in the ground contaminating soil and water with microplastics.
@@greenknitter Yeah, if people stopped buying so much synthetic *new* clothing *that would be great*. But we're talking about second-hand clothing. You are not directly, or probably even indirectly, supporting the synthetic fabrics industry if you buy second-hand. If *no one* bought second-hand synthetic clothes, like you, then it'll all go directly to landfill right now. Instead of anyone making any use of it and making it worthwhile that it was made in the first place. This is especially unfortunate since much synthetic clothing can be really sturdy and could have been used for decades. This would lessen the need to buy new clothes which are still incredibly environmentally unfriendly even if it's organic cotton, linen or hemp. Sending all the synthetic fabrics to land-fill right now, would also greatly impact the environment and local communities living there right now. You'd reather be hit with many small snow balls than one big avalanche. In the future we might also have better ways to dispose of, reuse, or break down oil products like plastic. (Maybe we have better carbon cathing and storing methods in 40 years, for example.). The UN climate panel has made it clear that what we do in the next ten years will be of utmost importance. So this is not the time to send tonnes of perfectly usable clothes to landfills in Chile and Malaysia. By the way, alot of the thread used in cotton clothing is actually nylon (plastic). They use nylon thread because it's really sturdy and will make the piece last longer. So, yeah.
@@bethdahl3741 The root of the whole problem is the nature of the fashion industry- i.e. capitalism and consumerism. Until that changes fundamentally with an end to fast and hyper fast fashion, an end to people shopping mindlessly for the latest clothes when they have wardrobes stuffed with clothes and an end to the production of man made fibres that right now are rotting away in our soil and seas, we're just pissing in the wind. Yes if no-one bought second hand synthetics it would all get incinerated and go to landfill, but as I said- it's just putting off the inevitable. There is no guarantee there will be better ways to dispose of and break down petroleum based materials in future and fast fashion is set to become an even bigger problem in years to come. It needs new government policies to outlaw materials that cannot biodegrade, it needs a sea change in attitude by the public to the kind of clothing we wear, the general public transitioning to a needs based ethic of buying only what we need, and taking responsibility for what we buy. It takes the fashion industry being forced to fundamentally change with sanctions and large fines in place for continuing this utterly destructive and wasteful way of doing business. Lessen the need? lol the vast majority of people don't buy clothes on a need basis, they buy them because they fancy something new to wear. At least in wealthier countries. You've seen clothing hauls, look books, sponsored instagram posts all glorifying "more is better" and tacitly telling us all to get out there and consumer ever more and to hell with the planet? New clothing doesn't have to be "incredibly environmentally unfriendly". I knit/crochet and sew most of my own clothes, and the rest are second hand. I buy locally made linen cloth and bedding- I'm Irish, and wool and fibres from Irish sheep, lamb and other animals. I know the farmers, producers, mills the wool and linen is spun and the supply chains- all come from this island. My favoured woolen mill has been in existence since the 17th century and flax has been produced here for almost a thousand years.
I'd love to see a video about the sustainability of different building materials since it's such a complex issue. Like even though concrete is so emissions intensive, many people in Australia use it as flooring to passively heat their homes in winter or keep the interior cooler in summer.
So true. I would say most things you cannot recycle or get secondhand like clothing.
🧵 High school sewing teacher from 🇨🇦 here… hemp was once the everything plant. Hundreds of years ago it was used to make everything from sails and rope to paper and fabric. I’m waiting for it to make a comeback and wondering why it is taking so long? 🤷🏻♀️ I don’t see hemp fabric in the sewing stores… I am hoping this will change in the very near future. I just gotta say this: The textiles industry is incredibly wasteful… I have seen bolts of fabric stacked to the ceiling in giant textile warehouses. Massive amounts of fabric gets tossed before it even hits the fabric stores. Textiles waste is more rampant than food waste, perhaps just not as widespread nor is it in the public eye. It is shocking… the textiles industry desperately needs to clean up their act. I’ll stop here before I get on a serious rant… Thanks Gittemary for this informative video. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🧵🪡
Fun fact: the original Levi jeans were made of hemp. People complained that it was too scratchy but I'm sure modern processing could fix that
@@lilynoir3939 Thanks for your awesome comment… and yes, I agree 💯 with you that modern processing can refine the tactile sensation of hemp. I’m just not sure why this is it taking so long? Have a great day Lily. Ⓜ️ary
Hi Mary! Just popping in to say hi! ♥
@@jemma50 Hey Jemma, back at ya!! Have a great weekend my friend. Ⓜ️ary
@@marycharlebois6627 You too, Mary! ♥
I do know a small, cottage industry sized, shepherd who raises gulf coast sheep. She raises her flock free range on non-treated pasture, and specifically chose this breed because, while they produce less wool, they are hardy and self sufficient while being gentle on the land.
I highly suggest looking around for your local, small producers- for food and fabric. They are the ones producing goods we all need in a sustainable manner and they need support to survive.
The wool industry is not sustainable. But your local shepherd is accountable to you, their flock, and the earth.
It’s important to not only think about the environment when picking fabrics but also other animals! Wearing animal skin or hair/wool etc is unethical and awful for the animals so not worth it even if they’re raised and treated well till death or till they’re sheared.
@@claudiabone1288 why is shearing unethical?
@@DracoTriste I think wool is the least of my problems as someone who doesn’t eat meat, consume dairy or wear leather. I’d go as far as to say you should ignore people who become incredibly illogical around wool production and don’t want to have a discussion around it without them just saying “wool is bad for the sheep”. There aren’t many alternatives to wool like there are for leather so it really hasn’t been replaced yet in my opinion. Whilst the practices around wool can be incredibly unethical (like Gittemary mentioned) I live in a place that can have a cold winter climate and sometimes wool is the best option under my waterproof. Acrylic is nowhere near as warm as wool and wool will not contribute to plastic pollution if discarded properly.
@@claudiabone1288Can you please share your perspective, I would like to know what you think.
stinging nettle has been used for centuries in slavic cultures for making clothes (especially the special occasion ones, bcs it’s believed to have protective magical properties)
I make clothes out of old bedsheets and deadstock or remnants. Hardly ever use new fabric.
Hemp should have superceded cotton by now though.
I like linen because it's supposed to be wrinkly! Nobody thinks I'm a slob if I have a linen tunic or trousers on and it's creased. And they are casual and comfy! 👍
I used to work for a high street brand in the UK as a shop assistant. Applied there because most of their fabrics seemed to be natural fibres, barely any acrylic and polyester. But over the 4 years of working there, hemp was introduced for mens wear (cool) and phased out again (not cool) and more and more synthetic fabric mixes were used. The Christmas jumpers were suddenly not made with wool anymore, but 100% acrylic. The swimwear was made from "recycled ocean plastics", advertised with happy people in welly boots taking a little bit of rubbish out of a (presumably) English coastline. The quality of the clothes just dropped massively, which was really sad. It's been many years and I sort of still follow them online, but there are more and more customer complaints about how they're just like any other high street brand now. I still have many clothes from there that I wear, and supplement with second hand whenever I can, and this overview of sustainable materials is very interesting, thank you! I really want to try clothing made from hemp or stinging nettle to see how it compares.
Yes, part 2 please. Can you also talk about the issues of how unsustainable fabrics are often the only thing that is affordable for some and this creates an endless cycle. Are there ways to combat this?
Second hand shopping
I shop sales, and scour the internet for the best deals, additionally I sew my own garments.
I am feeling very proud of myself today. I bought from a consignment shop. For me that is huge!!!! Everything counts.
I need a video about unsustainable materials! :D
AAAAND maybe a video about shops in Europe (I am from Germany), which sell new clothing from hamp or linen or tencel or... the other mantioned sustainable materials.
It is quite difficult to look for such fabrics in "normal" shops.
afends has hemp and organic cotton, Love and Confuse has linen and is Oeko Tex certified, organic basics and armedangels (which is from Germany if I remember correctly) have tencel. Hope this helps. I did try Afends, organic basics and armedangels and I had a good experience with all of them!
@@martinacalcagno2126 Also from Germany, I didn`t try all of them, but I can also recommend ArmedAngels at least
I would also add cork and then another fabric from the future, mycelium derived from fungi :) excited to see that one used more
Fantastic as always Gittemary. Just one small thing - natural rubber straight from the tree, or minimally processed, is biodegradable. However, most products marketing as ‘natural rubber’ have been cross-linked with sulphur or another catalyst to provide the properties and durability required for the application. The cross-linking is permanent and stops the material being biodegradable.
This might not be something you talk about a lot, but would you do a video about sustainable flooring? That seems like it would be soooo useful.
I second this! Would be curious about the impact of things like laminate and vinyl especially, since they are so durable and can last a very long time.
Totally curious about stinging nettle. Health wise it’s super awesome. Hope to see this someday in clothing 😊
It'd be cool if the fiber could be harvested and the leaves used as a food crop! Nettle is SO SO SO nutritious!
@@xerrias Most definitely!! 💚
Garments made with stinging nettle is actually pretty old, my grandma told me about that🌱👍🏼😊
I have only ever seen Hemp clothing being sold in Cape Town South Africa. It can also be used as a building material and apparently for food. I was disappointed to learn that bamboo is not very sustainable 😔, it's such a soft material 😍. I will definitely keep an eye out for the accreditation certificate on clothing 👍😊
I definitely want to see the most unsustainable fabrics video! As a maker, I’m so curious about how buying the materials and skipping the manufacturing or production of products impacts the overall sustainability. I know that things I’m making are ethically made (by me), but I’m often unsure about if my handknit wool is just as bad as buying a wool coat or if my handmade viscose shirt is any different than purchasing a viscose shirt, etc
i loved this video so much! i'm in junior in hs right now so i dont have any of my own money but i've been trying to research sustainable brands, options, ect. for daily living that i could buy when i need to in the future. fabrics are something i never thought about i just knew polyester was terrible and ofc that is what most of my clothes are made out of sadly. i usually buy from goodwill a second hand store in my area because its just cheaper and the quality is so much better in my opinion even tho its reusign materials i just love it. i always see brands that arent relaly eco-friendly but still have like their care tag saying its made out of recycled materials yet the who item of clothing is not. my goal is to find things that people with limited recourses can use if they want to live sustainably like myself. anyone have any reccomendations for clothing brands in particular that are sustainable, and treat their workers fairly?
Extremely helpful, thank you so much! The way you talk and explain is so clear and easy to understand, highly appreciate your time to make these videos!!!
Im reading When The Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce in an Environmental Case Studies class right now. It's really great if you're interested in reading about the topic of water over-usage. Its a few years old now, and can be a little aggravating to read... But something not everyone always thinks about when looking at where goods are produced.
GitterMary thanks for sharing this video. It was great to be given the information about materials whether they are sustainable or not. Yes a part two would be appreciated. Love 🥰 the video and love 💕 GitterMary.
Hi Gittemary! I have a video request. Could you (if you haven’t already) do a deeper dive into micro plastics? Someone I know was once kinda arguing that “if plastics break down into smaller and smaller plastics over time, then don’t they eventually become nothing?” - therefore how bad can plastic REALLY be. I briefly explained the impacts of micro plastics on marine life and our own bodies, however, it’d be great to hear your take on it. I know this is still a developing topic of study too. 👍
Thanks for sharing, I learned a lot. Part 2 pls
Wow awesome video as always 🔥🔥🔥 I have also recently heard that clothes made from recycled plastic bottles aren't that good because Plastik bottles are ussually in a good working recycling system and turning them into clothes that can't be recycled because of mixed materials is kinda missing the point. Would love to hear your opinion on that!
Great video Gittemary. I'm doing my first research into the textile industry now, and it's soooo overcrowded with certifications and the potential for greenwashing.
I think you did a great job with this video, though! Good for beginners to make better shopping choices.
I will say that one of aspects not mentioned in the video, or at least briefly mentioned, is product End-of-Life (EoL).
Most of the good materials Gittemary mentioned derive from plant-based sources, and so, naturally, those materials would return to where they came from: the earth.
This is composting, etc.
This might not always be the case tho!
Many laws around the world require textile producers to specify the percent composition of materials existing in a given fabric *with* the given fabric, often via a tag or label.
So, you might see 100% cotton or 95% TENCEL™ / 5% elastane/spandex.
But these laws only require those labels to specify materials *up to a certain percent composition of the total weight of the textile.*
So, a 100% cotton textile may in reality be 98% cotton with 2% polyester thrown in to the pockets of, say, jeans or the cuffs of a sweater or the necks of long socks to give thise garments greater support.
This means that some textiles, or perhaps even a majority, are *not* 100% plant-based as their labels claim.
Luckily, some brands know about this, and are choosing to forego polyester-based sewing threads in exchange for plant-based threads, like cotton.
Issue here is that cotton-based sewing threads may be of an entirely different origin from the bulk material of the fabric. The fabric may be certified GOTS organic, for example, but the sewing threads might be GMO cotton grown with tons of pesticides.
For most people this isn't an issue, but for people with drastic skin conditions, those residual pesticides can leading to people breaking out and having allergic reactions.
But the other issue with these covert materials is that they make the majority of textiles non-compostable unless the user does some deconstruction, perhaps by removing tbe sewing threads and whatnot. Big hassle.
Solution? Have manufacturers specify *ALL* materials used in a garment? You'd think
In the meantime, brands that take this seriously, from what I can tell, tend to market towards the hypoallergenic crowd, so I would append your shopping searches with those kinds of tags.
Hope this helped someone!
I love the positive approach this video takes, so what to favor instead of what to avoid :)
5:09 Slight (actually huge) elaboration.
Lyocell may be the generic name for some fibers in the economy, but the term actually refers to the chemical process called the Lyocell process.
The Lyocell process transforms cellulose (often from wood) into rayon through the use of a solvent and other chemicals. Rayon is just cellulose but with all the fibers aligned in mostly the same direction, similar to how you would imagine the lines of metal dust aligning next to a magnet, as opposed to being chaotically arranged.
Aligning these cellulose building blocks allows one to craft more macroscopic "staple fibers" (fiber bundles), or even full on filaments (fiber wires) if fancy enough, as opposed to chaotic alignments that would make fiber making hard and, perhaps, paper making easier.
This is why you'll see the maker of TENCEL™, Lenzing, refer to the above as "Lyocell fibers", denoting how the output of the Lyocell process is fibers.
The same is true for Viscose and Modal, but the chemicals used are much nastier.
Viscose more generally in the economy refers to the fibers themselves, but in actuality it is the Viscose process that transforms the cellulose input to a rayon (aligned cellulose) output. You'd see Lenzing call it "Viscose fibers", not just viscose.
Modal refers to a slightly modified Viscose process. Lenzing also further qualifies this fiber as being mostly made from Beechwood as opposed to being made from a wide variety of tree species, unlike Lyocell and Viscose fibers. I'm not sure if Modal is mostly beechwood in the market.
Lenzing is also finnicky in their branding of all of these fibers, too.
Depending on whether the fibers will be sold to businesses or consumers, Lenzing will call the same product different names.
For Lenzing-to-Business fibers, the products are exclusively called LENZING™ Lyocell, Modal, or Viscose fibers.
For Lenzing-to-Consumer fibers, there is another classification to consider.
Depending on whether the fibers will be used for Lenzing-to-Consumer woven or non-woven purposes, Lenzing will call the same product different names.
If LENZING™ fibers are destined for woven applications, then they're called TENCEL™ or LENZING™ ECOVERO™.
TENCEL™ can be made from the Lyocell or Modal processes, making it TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers or TENCEL™ Modal fibers.
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ refers to fibers made from a Viscose process that is actually much better than the traditional one you'd find making traditional viscose on the market, but the result is LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose fibers.
If LENZING™ fibers are destined for non-woven applications, then they're called VEOCEL™.
These are restrained specifically to Lyocell and Viscose fibers, making it VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers and "VEOCEL™ Viscose fibers with Eco Care technology" (a mouthfull).
(Eco Care is the same tech they use for ECOVERO™, but with fibers destined for non-wovens instead of wovens).
Another example of Lenzing's finnicky-ness is when they call the end product a different name depending on the process that made it.
Lenzing uses recycled cotton in the making of some of their LENZING™ TENCEL™ fibers, where the branding they use here is TENCEL™ × REFIBRA™.
Early on, Lenzing wanted to call fibers made from any partial fraction of recycled material Refibra™ fibers, but have since made the change to refer to REFIBRA™ as the chemical process that transforms partial recycled input into specifically TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers at the output.
If the desired fibers are used for non-wovens, then they refer to the same process as Eco Cycle, as in "VEOCEL™ Viscose fiber with Eco Cycle technology".
Note that Eco Care =\= Eco Cycle.
Eco Care reduces waste products of the Viscose process by about 50% as per the EU Ecolabel Lenzing wants to slap onto their VEOCEL™ product. And again, "VEOCEL™ Viscose fiber with Eco Care technology" (non-woven) = LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose fiber (woven).
Eco Cycle is just REFIBRA™ for non-wovens.
Lots of stupid nuances!!!! Gah!!!! Anyways I hope youre better informed :)
Sources: 2016-2022 Lenzing Sustainability Reports.
Stinging nettle based clothes were much more common in the past. My grandpa used to say shit about them all the time, but probably the ones he had when he was young weren't good quality. I should look it up. Like, maybe they restarted using them because of some war and a less easy access to cotton (?). I don't know but if I find something about it I'll come back!
I don’t know what it is but you look SO beautiful in this video 🥺💖
This is such a great video! Thank you for putting wool in the "gray area" category, rather than demonizing it based on limited information. There are certainly issues with the wool industry (as there are with any large-scale global industry), but there are also a lot of benefits and possibilities that wool presents as a sustainable material. An irony of some groups *coughcough* PETA *coughcough* relentlessly villainizing wool and actively spreading anti-wool propaganda is that one of the reasons that the meat and wool industries are so intertwined--as you point out--is because the use of and demand for wool has dropped off so dramatically in recent decades. As plastic manufacturers have pushed acrylic and polyester as cheaper, "easier-care" alternatives to things that were traditionally made out of wool (sweaters, rugs, hats, upholstery, etc.), sheep farmers have seen the price of wool plummet, meaning that it's not even financially feasible to sell their flock's wool each year. This has lead to farmers focusing more on the meat side of the business and burning or composting PERFECTLY GOOD AND USEFUL WOOL while consumers buy more "fleece" jackets made out of plastic that are harmful to produce and will shed microplastics throughout their lifecycles. Obviously the issues within the wool industry need to be addressed, and I understand if some people feel uncomfortable buying something new that came from animal agriculture. But this is definitely a case in which we should be looking to fix the system, not burn it down--because the plastics industry has done a pretty good job of that already.
Also, if you want a joyful, adorable example of sheep and sheep farmers being part of the solution, look at how sheep are being used to keep grass short around solar panels, so that the plants don't interfere with renewable energy generation. They're able to get in around the panels in ways that mechanical lawn mowers can't, and they aren't powered by fossil fuels that would pollute the air with carbon and tons of harmful particulate matter. Flocks of sheep are also being used in wildfire-prone areas like California to manage the vegetation that could become fuel for deadly fires. If these amazing animals (I didn't even go into how rotational grazing can revitalize soils and sequester carbon...) can also provide us with natural, organic, anti-microbial, insulating, biodegradable fibers, we should definitely be using those climate-beneficial superpowers to get us off plastic and connect more deeply with the earth.
Sheeps wool being a good insulator isn’t a reason to exploit them! There’s no need for it as we have plenty of alternatives to choose from - whether second hand or sustainable options xx
@@claudiabone1288 We do not have adequate alternatives when it comes to insulation and elasticity, and the closest analogs are plastics, which are still poor substitutes and are derived from fossil fuels. They are incredibly polluting in their production and throughout their use, as they release microplastics into the water supply every time they're washed.
Sheep were one of the very first animals that humans domesticated, about 10,000 years ago. We have been interdependent ever since, and at this point most sheep need humans in order to survive. No animal should be harmed or mistreated, and we definitely need to rethink the scale and some of the practices of the wool industry. If you personally feel uncomfortable buying new wool right now, I totally understand, and you are free to purchase it secondhand or choose plant fiber alternatives if you live in a climate that makes that possible.
But secondhand only goes so far. Sheep are incredibly important to human existence--for cultural, survival, and sustainability reasons. We continue to discover ways in which they are vital, such as in improving soil health and providing naturally temperature regulating and flame retardant bedding materials.
Not to mention they're adorable. Saying that you don't want sheep to be "exploited" is saying that you want them to go extinct. Our fates have been intertwined for millennia, and the most ethical and responsible thing we can do at this point in human and ovine history is to continue to care for them, give them safe and dignified lives, and make full use of their wool--which in most cases needs to be shorn at least once a year for their own health. If wool can also help us eliminate plastics from our lives, then all the better.
I hope this has helped provide some insight into the nuances of the world of wool. In the future, I would encourage you to do more thorough research into the issues at play before making sweeping and misleading claims.
@@alicehale5677 I would suggest you watch Earthing Ed's videos on this topic, as he explains things better than I can: ruclips.net/video/RE2mhaoUNaE/видео.html . Also I would like to point out that I'm not advocating for us to just abandon sheep or have them go extinct. That would be awful. I'm saying for us to stop mass breading them, and take care of them, without exploiting them and taking their wool. I know that they need to be sheared because we have bread them to be like this. So in taking care of them we should shear them. However using their wool for ourselves is still exploitation. Our default should not be exploitation whether we know want the sheep would want or not. Just because we have done something in the past also does not mean we should keep doing it. Slavery existed and I'm sure you wouldn't suggest it carries on justifying it with "We've done it for x amount of years" so that is no reason. I would encourage you to have a plant based diet if you don't already for the environment, and go vegan for the animals who deserve none of this exploitation and suffering. I would also encourage you to do some research into these issues at play before making sweeping and misleading claims.
Thank you for this video! All the types of fabrics out there right now are so mind boggling. I'd love to see videos on the impacts of the types of vegan leathers and the less sustainable materials. It helps so much to have good information condesed in a video form! It helps so much on my sustainablity journey 😊
I'm learning so much with your videos. thanks 😊
I am so happy to hear it ☺️
Would absolutely love the alternate version of this video!❤️🔥
Very informative, Gittemary. Thank you so much for sharing this information. It is helpful. Although for myself, I rarely buy clothes. Most of my wardrobe is at least 10 years old and was already secondhand when I got it. ;) Good to know what to look for when I do buy. ♥
Great video because there are so many different kinds of fabrics so it’s hard to know which is most sustainable.
I would love a video about unsustainable materials.
What material is vegan that is as warm as wool? Fleece for example isnt nearly as warm, I cant survive winter without my wool socks because of raynauds and I live in a cold climate but I would love to hear what other materials there are out there.
In my mind, the criteria for sustainability are necessity, functionality, durability, longevity and safety(to make produce and wear). In my estimation, organic materials score the highest in all of these categories accept cotton which more highly resource intensive to produce. Organic materials last longer than synthetics and degrade naturally when they reach end of life. The are safer on our skin and for the environment. They function better in all contexts from cotton in warmer weather to wool in colder weather. Better breathe ability and antibacterial properties. When washed they don’t release harmful plastics into the water system and environment. I work in a retail store selling lifestyle wear. What Ive noticed is a movement more towards synthetic materials. Polyester is the predominant material now. The fleece craze has caused massive spikes in synthetic clothing being consumed. These fleeces are 100% polyester. The fluffy fibres are micro plastic fibres. When you brush a fleece these fibres are easily released into the atmosphere. When get fibre dust collecting very quickly in the shop resting in shelves etc. This is mostly plastic fibres. We are breathing these in throughout the day. The problem is not the use of animal based products. The problem is over consumption. Every year millions of tons of fabrics both synthetic an organic are produced to feed consumer culture driven by the delusional need for novel fashion. We get new lines of clothing every season, the old gets marked down and sent to the warehouse where some of it sits for years and eventually goes thru the outlet. All the while consumers update their wardrobe annually.
Sustainability lies in consuming what you need when you need it. The used market is flooded with perfectly good garments. I buy mostly in charity shops and will only buy new if I scoured the internet and cannot find what Im looking for and I absolutely need something.
I can fit all my clothes in one large suitcase and I still don’t wear everything.
I love my wool jumpers all bought from charity shops which collectively cost me less the £100. Thats just one example.
great video!!! and a part 2? absolutely!!
Would love a part 2! Thanks, Gittemary!
Regarding video ideas: would it be possible for you to compile a list or create a hierarchy of the most damaging habits, practices etc.? Sometimes we are required to choose between options ant I would love your help choosing the least damaging option. Thanks in advance :-)
Love this! Like even though I’m vegan, I often wonder if canned or dry (in a plastic bag) beans are more sustainable, or if liquid conditioner from the bulk store is more sustainable than solid conditioner shipped to me (in terms of shipping liquid vs. solids, commercial shipping vs retail shipping)
@@raewebb7761 exactly! I live in Israel, and I wonder if shipping sustainably made products is more harmful than good. Oh, the dilemmas...
Do you feel that "longevity" plays into a fabric being more sustainable? Linen and wool wears thin and rips more easily, this requiring replacement sooner than some other materials. Just wondering. Great video!
Great question
Knit wools can be repaired with a bit of learning. For linen it really depends on the garment I think, but I am in the process of repairing/restyling a linen skirt with a very visible hole in the front. I save scraps for quilts and even smaller scraps to stuff pillows. With some creativity and skills, good quality fabric can be repaired and repurposed. But this is not a skill set that everyone has the privilege to learn or the time to practice. What is the most sustainable thing for an individual often comes down to their own needs and abilities.
I have a beautiful wool poncho I had made in 1972 when I was in Peru when I was in the Peace Corps. It's great for spring and fall wear. Good quality wool knit wear lasts a long time!
Really awesome video!!!
And yess please make the video about unsustainable materials!
Thank you for this video, I think this is one of my favorite from you so far. I’ve wondered about all of these materials before when buying from sustainable brands so it is very helpful to have all this information put together.
8:35 yeah and the reason why bamboo might be terrible is because most of the market's bamboo comes from China where the traditional Viscose process is more prevalent than the more responsible one declared by the EU and supported by Lenzing (see my other comment).
It's possible that bamboo could be more sustainable in the future if Lenzing or another company adopts a modernized, responsible Viscose process that reduces nasty chemicals and waste residues, but those projects are just getting started if they've started at all.
Would love Part 2!!
Thank you for this, super informative!
thank you for this! i would love to see this for stuff like coffee, tea, cacao? if you are willing?
So would you say the first 8 are as sustainable as each other or is 100% recycled cotton the best followed by organic cotton, then linen etc. ?
Does anyone know what type of sustainable fabrics would be best to look for when in extremely cold environments? It gets crazy cold where I live so heavy, thick winter jackets and snow pants can be a MUST lol
yes to part two! thanks
10:34 Yep, and I would be more specific to just call it rayon.
You can make rayon via a number of processes: thermal (pressure steaming), mechanical (scutching), biological (retting), chemical (lyocell/viscose), etc. as long as what you start with has a fraction of cellulose in it.
Right now we have names like "tencel" for wood-based (lyocell-)rayon and "cupro" for cotton-based (lyocell/viscose-)rayon, so I'd imagine we might eventually have a brand name for bamboo-based (lyocell/viscose-)rayon eventually once some giant mega corporation coins the name and it's use is widespread around the world.
Anyone have any good names?
Maybe bambel? Boocel? 🤣
Very good video as always 👍 I was wondering about your views on wool yarn? It seems to me that yarn tends to have a much more transparent production? Like alpaca and llama wool for example from smaller companies, ive seen a lot of those. And sheep wool as well but I havent seen that that much.
Cupro and nettle fabric are new to me! Seems very cool though. I personally eat nettle 😂
Gittemary thanks! Check out Czech company Nilmore and their cPLA material which is 100% recyclable. They even have circular points, shops where you can return your used clothes and they use it to make new ones in closed loop. I just wish instead of boring sweathers they started with pieces of clothing that breaks really often like socks, underwear, tshirts etc...
"Vegan leather" is certainly a misnomer! "Crappy plastic based trash" might be more appropriate.
"vegan leather" is just polyvinyl, it's eventually just better to buy one pair of good leather shoes than five "vegan leather" shoes because they chip or break in like two months.
wich brands make clothes from hemp or linnen of something? Cuz I don't know any. some do 100% cotton (for hoodies for example, t shirts are from 100% cotton al the time). Most of the time hoodies are made from a mix of cotton and polyester.
In my experience, bamboo, although lovely next to the skin, does not have a very long life. I no longer buy bamboo clothes for thst reason. Thanks for the very interesting Video.
Just in time Gittemary! Super cool overview as always 😍
Just this week I got most of my black basics stollen from our shared basement laundry room. They were not from expensive or even sustainable brands but I haven't had to purchase these things since many many years .. and I was really proud of it :(
I prefer not to dwell on the reasons why someone would take these items, I believe it has to be someone with a very difficult life to put themselves through such a strange endeavour. All I know is that now I find myself needing to shop for new basics... (I hate shopping).
Please guys leave here some suggestions of brands (preferably available and produced in Europe).
I go for a minimalist basic style with nice sustainable materials.
Thank you 😘😘😘
Gittemary has a whole blog post on brands she stands behind, aka thinks their sustainable efforts are effective and geniune, including several brands who focus on basics! And the brands are largely European I believe. The link is up in the description under "eco brands I stand by"
@@EmilythePowerfull thank you Emily :) will check :) if you have more suggestions leave them here:)
Haha what you say about the rosie image of wool compared to leather is like milk vs meat, I mean, no, technically the cow does not have to die for the milk, but actually it does :')
I'd like to see more dumpster diving videos!💚
As for wool: if the animal is subject to high welfare standards-non mulesing for example and comes from an organic farm I don't see a problem personally. Far less air miles than vegan alternatives and there is no vegan alternative that is as warm as animal fibres like wool and alpaca. It also supports local producers/farmers and production and incineration of plastic yarn clothing like acrylic and nylon is hardly eco friendly.
I've very rarely found second hand wool jumpers in my size where I live so that's not an alternative for me.
I agree! I feel the same way about eggs. Where I live it’s not uncommon for people to have a couple of chickens just running around in their yard and they sell the extra eggs to neighbors. The chickens will lay the eggs regardless and I don’t see the problem when they are treated well and it’s not commercialized/ industrialized.
With these situations feeding the eggs back to the chickens is the best thing to do as they lose so many nutrients when making the eggs that they can gain back by eating their eggs!
Even if they’re treated well it’s still exploitation! Their wool was never meant for us and shouldn’t be taken from them. And I know the reality is at this point a lot of the sheep need to be sheared as they’ve been bread to overproduce wool so in these situations shearing them and then giving the wool back in terms of making beds or spreading it into nature to be used as bird nests Is the best thing to do xx
@@claudiabone1288 Who says it shouldn't be taken from them? How do you know what the sheep feel about it? Have you seen sheep being shorn? I have and they appear to feel nothing other than relief to have a heavy wool coat taken off in early Summer. Lots of indigenous peoples use sheep and other animal wool and hides for clothing, would you tell them wool was never meant for them?
I'm Irish and indigenous to my country where sheep have been farmed for over 6000 years. I support farmers and producers here who sell wool from a native sheep breed which is ethically farmed and treated-I know the wool co-op members. The breed was facing extinction due to other faster breeding meat and wool sheep breeds being farmed. Now the breed has been saved because of the value and utility of their unique fleece.
This breed is adapted to the Irish landscape over thousands of years of evolution and supports biodiversity in the Irish countryside and acts as a carbon sink. They also represent part of the heritage, history, the way-of-life and the landscape of an area and so have unique cultural value.
I know about over production, I use wool for knitting and other crafts. I do not support breeds like merino for example because of this, I buy wool and tops from breeds adapted to the temperate climate of Ireland and occasionally from the UK.
@@claudiabone1288 And BTW-sheep's wool is used by birds here for nesting without any human intervention. Fleece often gets snagged on sticks and branches of shrubs and hedges or barbed wire as they graze. Apart from that unfortunately because of EU regulations currently wool is classified as category three waste, along with animal carcasses.
By virtue of this categorisation, farmers are prevented from spreading wool on their farms for use as a fertiliser or as compost.
Bedding I don't know about, would have to look that up.
Hi Gittemary, I do love your content as it's most educational I've seen sofar, however there is one topic I haven't seen much coverage anywhere, but I do think it's important to talk about (especially now) - environmental impact of war. It clear how much of an impact it has socially, psychologically and economically, but what about impact on environment and what can one do about it? It's not fun topic to talk about, however it would be good to know. Thanks for your time anyways! :)
Never mind, found it!!!!
Organic silk🌹
How has the rubber industry change lately? I think I remember it was one of the main source to deforestations in the rainforest back in the days before they found a way to produce rubber from petroleum. I would assume it could be again if everyone starts to buy it.
interesting content as always,
has anyone found a holy grail for active wear, especially leggings ?
I have 100% gots cotton leggings, that are very nice. Living Crafts makes these. But I mostly just skip them. Woman should worry less about their legs and just show them, no matter some cellulite or visible vains. I mostly wear vintage cotton shorts during sports.
I just wanted to say 2nd hand anything is better than buying new. Especially the unsustainable materials because if you know you’re going to like it and keep it for a very long time then it’s fine.
which brand using recycled cotton?
I like your videos! You're dives are really interesting. While it does revitalize the soil I'm worried about when it becomes more widely produced and big farmers won't let it do that (I know the pros and cons for till vs no till). Also fun fact! It uses the same soil nutrients as corn, but it will probably still need to be rotated with soy for the same reason even with revitalization. My thoughts on wool is that some left out info seems disingenuous. Yes sheep have been bred to have longer wool but that is like saying original corn vs modern (minus GMO but that ISN'T bad either) but even "ancient sheep breeds" still have to be sheered for their health. So this was done over centuries. Your phrasing makes it seem like its recent like "domesticating" foxes or different cat "breeds" that can't really be tricked genetically. I really can't say for the ethical practices I've grown up around pig and cow (my family didn't but locally) so I'm more comfortable talking about small farm practices around that and not sheep. But I'd guess that it is much the same.
What about Jute?..
I like the clothes from armedangels they use a lot of organic cotton. nice video
You are so lovely! 💕
Rebranding pleather as "vegan leather" is probably one the greatest marketing schemes ever.
Most of my clothes are made from linen because I love the look. But it wears out so easily that I’m starting to give up on the material. I really think that longevity should be a factor in how sustainable a material is, and linen is sadly not up to the task. I have also had expensive bed linens made from linen that was supposed to last me years (the company even used it as a selling point) but it wore out in just one year. It literally got so thin you could easily see through it and it started to rip everywhere. I followed all washing instructions and didn’t tumble dry it. I still don’t get if I have some sort of curse when it comes to linen or if companies are just lying about the quality. I would love to hear other peoples experiences with linen because it’s my favorite material and I really, really wished it withstood wear and tear better.
I have a Ferguson Irish linen sheet that is hard wearing, no holes after years of use. They've been making linen bedding since 1854 so have a long lineage. I also buy linen from a company in Wexford here to make into clothing which I'm very happy with. Linen is indeed expensive so can understand your frustration if what you bought is not the quality you expected.
A lot of products are mislabeled as vegan, simply because they are not made from animals. But veganism, as defined by the vegan community, does not just mean not involving animals. Veganism is a dedication to reducing an ending unnecessary harm. This could be harm to animals, it can be harm to people, it can be hard to the environment.
This is why we have movements like freeganism, Where traditionally non-vegan products are recycled, reused, or otherwise prevented from becoming waste.
The reason veganism is so often associated with simply being plant-based, or rather not animal-based, is simply because animal agriculture is the most blatant and widespread form of unnecessary harm.
💗💗💗
I would cut Lyocell/Tencell out of the list. The material is only great on paper. It sucks if you have clothing with it, as it has horrible characteristics. It is a magnet for grease stains that don't come out, and it looses colour easily on wrinkles. A 3 times washed lyocell dress can already look garbage. It is not anywhere close to a vintage piece from viscose.
I also want to do a plead for polyester/nylon for one single use: swimwear. If you care about microplastics, polyester swimwear performs way better than anything else, except maybe vintage Lastex. Grab any vintage 100% polyester or 100% nylon swimsuit from the sixties, and it will be basically like new. No other swimwear fabric performs that well in the key aspects: elasticity, durability, keeping colour and resisting chlorine. If you buy new, make sure you get 100% polyester swimwear. The choice is limited, as you mostly see it for frequent use training suits by Speedo, Zoggs and the like, or if you are a bikini lover check their beach volley lines for 100% poly offerings. Lastex is another magical fabric, it is heavy like crazy, you stay wet in it for a day after you get out of the pool, but its cotton woven around natural rubber is something out of this world. You feel instant Marilyn Monroe in it, and these suits are 70 years old as they were only made into the late fifties. Swimsuits from lastex are like high couture, the fabrics are magnificent, especially the ones with woven floral or checker patterns in gloss/matte threads.
Haven't seen a good dumpsterdiving video from you for a while. Wink-wink.
...but the most sustainable fabrics are the ones you buy second-hand. Just wash them carefully, as to not spread microplastic. :)
But how do you responsibly dispose of them at end of life, even if they're second hand?
@@greenknitter It's better that someone has made some use of them than if the fabrics/clothes going straight to landfill! It's actually a little bit selfish to only think of what *you* send to landfill. (I used to think like that, unfortunately...) I now think we're all equally responsible for the current landfill waste and the future landfill waste. So don't be scared to make use of something that won't last forever and can't be recycled, etc (if it's second hand). :) And alot of well-made synthetics can actually last a really really long time. I bought a synthetic 70s blouse that loooks brand new, for example.
@@bethdahl3741 Of course it's better someone else makes use of them than going to landfill right away, but my question still stands. If you buy second hand man made fibre clothing that doesn't biodegrade, what then when you can't wear it any longer? When it eventually becomes old, worn, torn, bleached out etc, how can you dispose of it in an ecologically responsible way? Genuine question because seems to me there is no other option than landfill or incineration and while it's good to get another use from synthetics it's just delaying the inevitable - going to landfill or incineration, whether it went there in the 1970s or in 2022 or however long more you will wear your blouse for example. Once the item is made it's in the environment forever unless burned or buried or it breaks up on land or sea... tragically. And burning is not much better as incinerators release poisonous dioxins.
Yes we are all responsible for how we dispose of our clothing in the least harmful way, but I don't buy any man made chemically treated materials for many reasons, so am not perpetuating this current waste crisis. If everyone only bought biodegradable fabric clothing the waste crises would end because there would be no market for non-biodegradable clothing that can lasts centuries in the ground contaminating soil and water with microplastics.
@@greenknitter Yeah, if people stopped buying so much synthetic *new* clothing *that would be great*. But we're talking about second-hand clothing. You are not directly, or probably even indirectly, supporting the synthetic fabrics industry if you buy second-hand.
If *no one* bought second-hand synthetic clothes, like you, then it'll all go directly to landfill right now. Instead of anyone making any use of it and making it worthwhile that it was made in the first place. This is especially unfortunate since much synthetic clothing can be really sturdy and could have been used for decades.
This would lessen the need to buy new clothes which are still incredibly environmentally unfriendly even if it's organic cotton, linen or hemp.
Sending all the synthetic fabrics to land-fill right now, would also greatly impact the environment and local communities living there right now. You'd reather be hit with many small snow balls than one big avalanche.
In the future we might also have better ways to dispose of, reuse, or break down oil products like plastic. (Maybe we have better carbon cathing and storing methods in 40 years, for example.).
The UN climate panel has made it clear that what we do in the next ten years will be of utmost importance. So this is not the time to send tonnes of perfectly usable clothes to landfills in Chile and Malaysia.
By the way, alot of the thread used in cotton clothing is actually nylon (plastic). They use nylon thread because it's really sturdy and will make the piece last longer. So, yeah.
@@bethdahl3741 The root of the whole problem is the nature of the fashion industry- i.e. capitalism and consumerism. Until that changes fundamentally with an end to fast and hyper fast fashion, an end to people shopping mindlessly for the latest clothes when they have wardrobes stuffed with clothes and an end to the production of man made fibres that right now are rotting away in our soil and seas, we're just pissing in the wind.
Yes if no-one bought second hand synthetics it would all get incinerated and go to landfill, but as I said- it's just putting off the inevitable.
There is no guarantee there will be better ways to dispose of and break down petroleum based materials in future and fast fashion is set to become an even bigger problem in years to come. It needs new government policies to outlaw materials that cannot biodegrade, it needs a sea change in attitude by the public to the kind of clothing we wear, the general public transitioning to a needs based ethic of buying only what we need, and taking responsibility for what we buy. It takes the fashion industry being forced to fundamentally change with sanctions and large fines in place for continuing this utterly destructive and wasteful way of doing business.
Lessen the need? lol the vast majority of people don't buy clothes on a need basis, they buy them because they fancy something new to wear. At least in wealthier countries. You've seen clothing hauls, look books, sponsored instagram posts all glorifying "more is better" and tacitly telling us all to get out there and consumer ever more and to hell with the planet?
New clothing doesn't have to be "incredibly environmentally unfriendly". I knit/crochet and sew most of my own clothes, and the rest are second hand. I buy locally made linen cloth and bedding- I'm Irish, and wool and fibres from Irish sheep, lamb and other animals. I know the farmers, producers, mills the wool and linen is spun and the supply chains- all come from this island. My favoured woolen mill has been in existence since the 17th century and flax has been produced here for almost a thousand years.