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Can You Compost Cotton Blend Fabrics?

Can you compost cotton blend fabrics? As with many questions around textile sustainability, the answer to this question is: it depends. While there are studies on the biodegradability of textiles (i.e. the ability to degrade or break down), less research has studied the compostability of textile products, which refers to the degradation of organic material specifically. Studies related to the biodegradation of textiles have found that both natural and synthetic fibres will degrade by microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi [1]. However, the breakdown of synthetic fibres can lead to microplastic/microfibre pollution, while natural fibres treated with certain dyes, chemicals, or finishes can slow down their rate of degradation [2]. These chemicals can also leach out of textiles as they degrade which could contaminate soil. Look for items with certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OCS (Organic Content Standard), and bluesign to avoid these types of harmful substances. 

Unfortunately, most textile items contain blended fibres such as cotton/polyester t-shirts, wool/acrylic sweaters, or cotton/polyester/spandex jeans, and use polyester thread for sewing. So, if you’re planning to add clothing or textile items to your compost, look for organic, natural materials and cut out seams if you want to avoid synthetics entirely. If your clothing or textile item is blended with synthetic fibres (e.g., polyester, spandex, acrylic), then it’s best to avoid composting these items since it may be difficult to remove these synthetic fibres or threads from your compost heap [3]. 

  1. Rana, S., Pichandi, S., Parveen, S., Fangueiro, R. (2014). Biodegradation Studies of Textiles and Clothing Products. In: Muthu, S. (eds) Roadmap to Sustainable Textiles and Clothing. Textile Science and Clothing Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-110-7_4
  2. Athey, S. N., Adams, J. K., Erdle, L. M., Jantunen, L. M., Helm, P. A., Finkelstein, S. A., & Diamond, M. L. (2020). The widespread environmental footprint of indigo denim microfibers from blue jeans. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 7(11), 840-847. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00498
  3. https://www.compostthis.co.uk/old-clothes
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Learning About Linen

Today we’re talking about linen, which comes from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Flax is one of the oldest documented textile fibres, dating back tens of thousands of years. The term linen comes from the genus of the flax plant Linum, and is what you’ll see most often on Canadian fibre content labels. The vast majority of the world’s linen, about 80%, comes from Europe, France in particular. Linen represents less than 1% of all textile fibres used worldwide, however.

Linen is a bast fibre, which means it comes from the stem of the plant, just under the surface. The fibres are embedded in woody plant tissues, pectins, and waxes, so the stems must go through retting (controlled microbial degradation) to free the fibres. 

Linen is mostly used in bed, table, and bath items (“linens”) in the home, for warm weather apparel, and can also be used in composites for building materials!

Pros:

  • Many people love linen’s appearance (lustre, slubby texture)
  • Strong, and highly absorbent, and dries faster than cotton
  • Cool to the touch, great for warm weather clothing

Cons:

  • It wrinkles like, instantly 😂 (we call this poor resilience)
  • Doesn’t have any stretch, can feel stiff/crisp
  • Can feel quite heavy

In terms of sustainability, linen is fabulous! In fact, @madebyorg gives organic linen an A rating on their environmental benchmark guideline. Organic linen and hemp (also a bast fibre), are the only non-recycled fibres given that rating! Conventional linen and cotton are rated C and E, respectively, for comparison. One reason for this is the relatively low energy intensity of processing the fibre (e.g. retting naturally in the field), and very little need for fertilizers or pesticides.

Because linen isn’t as troublesome as some fibres, and due to its very small market share, there isn’t a lot of information available on current developments happening in this area. The main area of focus appears to be focused on the breeding and cultivation of “climate-smart” flax in response to climate change.

So! If you need some summer clothes, give linen a try! It’s great for warm weather and has a lower environmental impact than most other fibre types, especially when it’s organic. Just call the wrinkles a design feature 😉

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