Vegan fabrics are ones that are made without the use of any animal products. Fabrics using animal products can range from wool, to the unexpected, such as those treated with beeswax. Vegan fabrics do not include any animal ingredients.Vegan materials are mainly cruelty-free, so you can be certain that neither the fabric nor the finishing methods include any animal products. Vegan materials, like veganism in general, are becoming increasingly trendy.
Purpose of Vegan Textiles
Vegan fabrics can be used for a variety of purposes, including re-upholstering furniture, clothing, and other sewing and crafts tasks. When developing cruelty-free fabrics, there may be a variety of end uses, like with other textiles, whereas you are creating material with the assurance that it is cruelty-free.
With the rise of social awareness and the growing number of vegans in the United States and around the world, vegan-friendly materials are becoming increasingly popular.
Properties
The absence of animal products is the primary characteristic of vegan materials. Both in the composition of the cloth fibers themselves and in the manufacturing and finishing processes. That is ultimately what establishes if an item is vegan or not. Aside from that, vegan materials have a plethora of qualities.
Vegan textiles can also be natural or man-made, and you can choose from a variety of additional traits and properties dependent on the end-use of your textile when designing vegan fabric. You can design vegan cloth to best suit what you desire, from the amazingly soft Peached Poly Textile to a stretchy Jersey material to a firmer yet ever so sleek Silk Sensation. Vegan fabrics, in addition to being cruelty-free in their production, finishing, and composition, do not contribute to animal agriculture, which contributes significantly to global warming. When vegan-friendly materials are created, they are likely to have a positive impact on the environment as well.
Modal and Lyocell
Lyocell and modal are wood pulp-derived fibres. These are made with chemicals but do not include any harmful solvents. Furthermore, the procedures are closed-loop. Wood pulp, on the other hand, must come from a sustainable source. Look for material that is manufactured in North America or Europe to ensure this.
Forest degradation in Indonesia is being driven by Chinese and Indonesian modal. Tencel is a recognised type of lyocell that is created from sustainably harvested cellulose. Because bamboo is a particularly sustainable crop, bamboo lyocell is indeed a fantastic sustainable option. The majority of textiles on the market, however, is bamboo viscose. Viscose is another method for turning wood pulp into textiles, however it employs hazardous solvents that are not caught and reused. Viscose (bamboo or rayon) is not environmentally friendly and should be avoided.
Organic cotton
Cotton is the dirtiest crop in the planet. Due to inadequate safeguards, farmers and the surroundings are subjected to these toxic compounds in large numbers, with serious health consequences.
The worldwide conventional cotton supply also includes a large amount of forced and child labour. The exorbitant expense of GM cotton, as well as the obligation to purchase proprietary seeds each year, are directly responsible for high instances of farmer deaths owing to debilitating agricultural debt. To avoid these consequences, wear organic cotton apparel.
Flax
You’re certainly familiar with flaxseeds as a vegan. Linen is a fabric manufactured from the reeds of the flax plant. It has been produced traditionally over several thousand years in Europe and Japan and is a very sustainable solution.
However, Chinese linen uses traditional fertilisers and has a greater environmental impact, so look for high-quality European and Japanese linens for the most environmentally friendly solutions. These choices are also significantly higher in quality, which is critical when designing a sustainable wardrobe.
Pineapple Leather
PVC, a very poisonous material that leaches damaging chemicals as it degrades, is used in conventional vegan leather. PVC is never sustainable, but regrettably, many vegan products advertise it as such. Pinatex is a non-woven material material that has the appearance and feel of leather but is not created from animal hides. It is also known as Pinatex and is constructed of natural fibres from the pineapple leaf as well as plastic and resin. It is made without the use of any animal byproducts. The pineapple leaves are acquired from the Philippines, processed, and shipped to Spain for the one-of-a-kind finish. The main office of the manufacturer, AnanasAnam, is based in London, England.
To keep the surface finish of pineapple leather, re-wax it using a clear wax on a regular basis. It comes in a variety of regular colours as well as bespoke colours upon request. Pinatex can be used to make a variety of products, including shoes, boots, car upholstery, furniture upholstery, purses, belts, and personal accessories.
Importance
First and foremost, utilising vegan products in the fashion business is a better option for animal rights and welfare. However, not enough is being done to completely eliminate the use of animal testing and the use of animal resources in fashion.One cotton garment requires 2,700 gallons of water to produce. That is incredible! That’s enough water to last you two and a half years. As stated by the World Resources Institute, the fashion industry has contributed 20% of global water pollution! That is 20% of all animal life and homes destroyed by the fashion industry. Furthermore, with factories in Asian countries, fashion goods are still created with coal-fired electricity, which contributes to our global carbon footprint.
As fallacies are debunked and more manufacturers dive into a vegan-based product line, expect to see a significantly less severe effect on the environment, better animal welfare, and vegan fashion accessories and outfits that look just as beautiful, if not better, than the animal equivalent.
Reference:
https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/natural-vegan-fabrics/
