LONDON: Do you know what you’re wearing? I don’t just mean if it’s a shirt or a jumper, or whether it’s designer or fast fashion. I’m talking about the fabric – and its source.
Cotton is fairly recognisable, and many know wool comes from sheep. But do you know that linen is made of the blue-flowered flax plant? That cashmere and mohair come from different breeds of goat, while angora comes from a type of rabbit? And polyester and polyamide are made out of oil?
Perhaps the least well-known origin story, and one of the most significant for the climate and biodiversity crises, is that fabrics such as viscose, lyocell and modal were once trees.
These materials, known collectively as man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs), are made of dissolved wood pulp and account for just over 6 per cent of our clothing. Yet production is growing as brands seek more sustainable materials. These forest fibres tend to use less water and energy than other types of fabric. They also have the potential to be fully biodegradable (depending on which chemicals are used to treat and dye the fabric) and come from a renewable resource. So far, so good.
The problem is that any wood-based supply chain comes with risks of deforestation, water pollution, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and clashes with indigenous communities who rely on the forests to survive and maintain their way of life.
Canopy, an environmental non-profit focusing on protecting ancient and endangered forests, estimates that 300 million trees are cut down for MMCFs every year, and there have been reports linking rampant deforestation with some of the world’s largest pulp and viscose producers.
Clothing companies need to do more to ensure that the viscose they’re using is sustainable, and not contributing to the loss of precious carbon sinks around the world. They also need to take the initiative to educate their own consumers about what their clothes are made of.