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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 😉

Sources: 

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Wool: Shearly Versatile And Sustainable

Today we’re talking about the next fibre in our series, wool. To put it simply, wool is basically sheep hair, and is actually similar to human hair in many ways! Wool is made of a protein called keratin, and the outer surface is covered with protective scales. Australia is the world’s largest producer of wool, followed by China, Russia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, the UK and Uruguay.

Wool was once very popular, but is now one of the least used textile fibres. This is primarily due to cost, as other fibres are much less expensive; wool is often blended or substituted with acrylic, polyester, or nylon to reduce cost. Wool is mostly used in winter apparel and accessories such as toques, mitts and sweaters, and in next-to-skin items like baselayers and socks for its thermal and moisture management properties. Wool is also still used in high-end carpeting due to its resilience. Here are some quick facts about wool:

  • Pros:
    • Very resilient/durable, and warm!
    • Can absorb 1/3 of its weight in moisture vapour without feeling wet
    • Doesn’t hold on to body odour, can be worn multiple times between washes
  • Cons:
    • Vulnerable to clothes moth damage
    • Can be itchy due to the surface scales. Finer varieties like merino are more comfortable
    • Can be difficult to wash – the scales can interlock and cause felting shrinkage
    • Machine washable wool (superwash) is treated with the chlorine hercosett process, which could have a negative impact on the environment
    • Wool comes from livestock, so humane treatment is important. The practice of mulesing is often used in regions where parasitic insects can infect the sheep
    • Like cattle, sheep produce methane which is a potent greenhouse gas. Love Your Clothes rates virgin wool fibres as “Class E” (the lowest) on their environmental benchmarking chart.

Despite the drawbacks, wool is a great fibre for certain needs, and is very popular with fibre crafters and artists. But as we know, textile and clothing production generates tremendous amounts of waste. What is being done to reduce the waste generated by wool production? Here are some techniques, methods, and ways to make wool production more sustainable for both sheep and the planet.

Responsible Wool Standard

  • RWS is a voluntary Textile Exchange standard which recognizes the Five Freedoms of sheep, and farmers with a progressive approach to land management.
  • The Five Freedoms include freedom from: hunger or thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease, fear and distress, and the freedom to express normal behaviour.
  • Clothing certified to RWS will be labelled as such on the company’s website, in-store, and/or on garment labels.

Regenerative wool

  • This approach to wool production has been gaining traction, and is used by Sheep Inc.
  • Last year, Allbirds, Icebreaker, and Smartwool announced their plans to collaborate and support the Discover ZQ ZQRX regenerative wool index, a tool for farmers to embrace and improve their techniques.
  • Regenerative farming is a holistic approach, prioritising biodiversity, soil health, and bio-sequestration of carbon. Rotational grazing allows farmers to find a balance between fertilization and waste management, feeding livestock, maintaining plant growth, and reducing soil erosion.

Processing

  • While the chlorine hercosett process is the most widely used superwash treatment, alternatives are available.
  • Plasma treatments, as used by Südwolle Group, use an electrically-generated plasma field to even out the fibre surface, but can cause damage to the fibre if not careful.
  • Other treatments include ozone, enzyme, radiation, and others. Each have their own pros and cons – you can read about them in more detail by seeing our reference list on the blog
  • It’s also possible to use untreated wool! For crafters, Briggs & Little Mill is a Canadian company who doesn’t use superwash or other harsh treatments on their wool. The yarn feels a bit more “rustic” as a result, but makes great sweaters, outerwear, and mitts.

Recycled wool

  • This will come up again and again with all fibres, but one of the lowest impact choices you can make is to use fibre that has already been produced.
  • When it comes to recycling fibres there can be some concerns about which chemicals may be present in the source material, but you can still find items made with recycled fibre and certified to 3rd party standards such as OEKO-TEX.
  • Canadian brand Anián uses recycled natural fibres, including wool, and there are more popping up all the time!
  • Manteco are an Italian fabric mill who have lots of great posts about their recycled MWool® products and manufacturing process. In 2021 alone they saved over 800,000 knitted garments from landfill!

All the information above was sourced from the references below, and we hope you continue your interest in wool, fibres, and textile production by reading the links below!

References:

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Talking To Edmonton About Single-Use Items

Single-use items. This is an issue that Waste Free Edmonton has been working on since our inception. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons our founders started the non-profit organization. We have come so far in the past 4 years. It makes sense to celebrate the wins as we get them.

Celebrating wins also entails explaining them to folks in our lives who don’t have the same level of knowledge about climate change and climate actions. The vast majority of Canadians are worried about the effects of climate change, but only half of us self-report understanding of climate change, and what needs to be done to combat it (Source).

If you are reading this, we can assume that you are interested in waste and climate change. And we assume that you talk to your friends and family about those topics. We know that it can be difficult having those conversations, especially with folks who don’t have the same level of knowledge as you. We hope this short guide helps you discuss our latest local climate win: the Plan to Reduce Single-use Items and its bylaw.

Leave Space

Nobody wants to hear a lecture, unless they are paying to go to school! Come informed and ready to listen. This looks like leaving space for the other person to talk and ask questions. And make sure that you are asking questions to understand and clarify, not to respond. And especially not to denigrate their knowledge.

That being said, it’s critically important to discourage climate change denial, fossil fuel company talking points, and racism, which can often come up when discussing current (and historic) climate actions. These are healthy boundaries to set and reinforce. You might not change anyone’s mind, but you can get them thinking about single-use items and the impact they have.

Speak from personal experience

Yes, it’s important to get your facts in about the single-use item plan, but it will be more meaningful – and memorable – if you speak about your personal experience. For example, tell your friend what you are excited about, or nervous about in the new plan. Explain to your Dad how you think this plan will impact your daily life and a trick you’ll use to remember to bring your reusables from home. Share with coworkers why you believe we need a single-use item plan and what this will mean for your weekly team lunch. Connecting the single-use item plan to your daily life will encourage your friends and family to do the same. Chatting in this way allows everyone to explore how the plan will impact them, their community, or their local business, and encourages people to get ready for the bylaw to take effect. And in a larger sense, this gets everyone to start evaluating the impact their actions have on waste in our community.

Since you’re keeping it personal, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” in response to a question or comment. Remember that you can always refer back to the City’s resources and encourage your friend to email their Councillor directly with questions.

Keep a cool head

Encouraging your friends and family to get curious about how this bylaw might affect them might bring out some strong feelings. Remember, this isn’t your plan so try not to take feedback personally. Recommend they reach out to their Councillor and Mayor if they have tough questions or comments. And if you come up against denialism, politely explain that you are not debating the proven existence of climate change.

Follow Up!

Once it’s had a few days to sink in, follow up after your conversation. Ask if they had any further questions or comments, and list any that you thought of. Send them an email including the link to the plan and a list of emails for City Councillors. Think of your own waste free journey. It probably took awhile for you to learn about waste reduction, and how to translate your knowledge into action. Patience and many conversations within our community are the keys to the success of Edmonton’s single-use item bylaw.

FURTHER READING

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How To Extend The Life Of Your Clothes

“The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.” – Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution Cofounder

So, how can we make sure our garments last as long as possible? We’ve gathered some tips on garment care from Good On You and The Green Edition that will help extend their useful life:

Wash your clothes less, at a lower temperature, and air or line dry when possible. Not only does this reduce energy and water consumption, but it is easier on your clothes as well. The heat and agitation of laundering can cause fibre loss, colour loss, and stretching. American Cleaning Institute recommends garments worn close to the body (socks, underwear) be washed after each use, but items such as jeans, pajamas, and outer garments (e.g., dress shirts and pants) be washed after 3 or 4 wears.

  • Do laundry when you have a full load but be careful not to overload your washer as this can prevent a thorough cleaning and causes excessive rubbing.
  • Wash garments according to their care label instructions and follow the directions of your laundry detergent. Different fibres have different requirements for washing, drying, and stain treatments. What might work for one fibre may just damage another (e.g., bleach is OK for white cottons but damaging to wool and other protein fibres). 
  • Separate clothes based on colours or use cold water to prevent colour loss and dyes from running. 
  • Reduce the amount of detergent you use as it can build up on your clothes over time. This goes for fabric softeners as well which can change the absorbency or moisture properties of the fabric. Reusable wool dryer balls are a great replacement for softeners and can reduce drying time too!
  • Treat stains immediately so that they don’t set. Blot the stain with cold water, rather than rubbing it. 
  • Store your clothes properly. Fold heavy knits rather than hanging them as they can stretch out and store clothes in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight. 

Mend clothing when damaged and alter clothes as needed. Stay tuned for future posts on basic mending techniques and what to look for in a quality garment!

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An Introduction to Cotton

A close-up photo of cotton

Today, we’re talking about the most abundantly produced natural textile fibre on the planet, cotton. If you take a look at the fibre content labels in your clothing and linen closets, we bet you’ll see a whole lot of cotton in there!

Cotton is a plant fibre, and like all plant fibres, is made from cellulose. Cotton comes from the boll or seed capsule of the plant, where the fibres are attached to the cotton seed. Cotton grows in tropical and subtropical climates, including North/South America, Africa (including Egypt), and the world’s largest producer, India. Cotton is very commonly blended with other fibres such as polyester, to produce textiles with desired properties and to reduce cost.

Pros: 

  • Absorbent, is stronger when wet, feels nice against the skin, and can withstand high temperatures. 
  • Used for bedding and towels, hospital fabrics, undergarments, denim, and warm weather clothing.

Cons: 

  • Wrinkles easily, prone to shrinkage, can cling to skin if it gets too wet. Can take longer to dry.
  • Covers 2.4% of arable land, but accounts for 6% of global pesticide use. 
  • Cotton is a “thirsty” crop, and requires a LOT of water. It can take over 2,500 litres of water to produce one t-shirt! Climate change is increasing the need for irrigation in some areas, potentially causing water shortages.
  • Monoculture crops can be vulnerable to pests and disease. Workers can be negatively affected by long-term exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, and these chemicals can have negative environmental impacts as well.

But for such a commonly-used fibre, what is being done to reduce the environmental impact of its production? Here are some methods:

Genetically-modified (GM):

  • One method to reduce the use of insecticides is to use “Bt cotton”, where the plant is modified to produce a type of bacterial toxin that kills caterpillar pests (Lepidopterans). Unfortunately this is not effective against all types of insect pests, and has caused some disagreement in the scientific community as to whether or not it’s more effective than conventional methods. [1,2]

Organic:

  • Requirements can vary by location, but generally organic means no use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and no genetic modification. This encourages practices such as crop rotation, biological control (e.g. beneficial insects), and reduced water use [3]. The Global Organic Textile Standard is a 3rd party certification body for organic textile fibres, which can help ensure the fibres come from an organic farm, but also that only safe chemicals are used in the fibre processing and fabric production. 
  • Becoming an organic grower can be inaccessible for some, and can take a number of years to achieve. The folks at Better Cotton work with cotton farmers to grow cotton more sustainably and improve working conditions. You can learn more and see who their members are on their website.

Recycled:

Anything else you’d like to know about cotton that we didn’t cover here? Let us know in the comments! 

Sources: 

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012044920/http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July06/Bt.cotton.China.ssl.html
  2. Wang, Z. J., Hai, L., Huang, J. K., Hu, R. F., Rozelle, S., & Pray, C. (2009). Bt cotton in China: are secondary insect infestations offsetting the benefits in farmer fields?. Agricultural Sciences in China, 8(1), 83-90.
  3. Delate, K., Heller, B., & Shade, J. (2021). Organic cotton production may alleviate the environmental impacts of intensive conventional cotton production. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 36(4), 405-412. doi:10.1017/S1742170520000356

Image by Tony Webster on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/44325730752)

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How To Reduce Holiday Waste With Fabric

holiday waste

As we head into the holidays we wanted to touch on a few ways you can reduce your textile waste this year.

According to a survey conducted by McKinsey & Company, about 20% of all annual apparel purchases are returned with one out of four apparel items returned when bought from e-commerce channels. They also report that an estimated 10% of returns end up in landfill! So, when buying for others consider purchasing secondhand or vintage garments as gifts rather than new, or support local designers or brands. 

Another major source of waste during the holidays is gift wrap. Tape, plastic additives, and foil wrapping make gift wrap difficult or impossible to recycle. Zero Waste Canada estimates that Canadians throw out 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags each year! To cut down on this waste, Greenpeace Canada suggests using upcycled materials such as old maps, magazines, or newspapers to wrap gifts or make bows, using string instead of tape, or trying out Furoshiki wrapping, a Japanese method of wrapping items using a square piece of fabric. 

Furoshiki wrapping is versatile as you can wrap a variety of different shapes that are usually difficult to do with paper gift wrap. You can purchase Furoshiki wrapping cloths or make your own out of unwearable textiles. Just keep in mind that knit fabrics such as t-shirts will have a little bit of stretch and you may need to double up the fabric for heavier items. There are plenty of online resources for how to make your own gift wrap from upcycled textiles and the various ways you can wrap using Furoshiki techniques. 

Here are Mary’s Christmas gifts from a couple of years ago, all wrapped with fabric! She used a mixture of scarves, bandanas, and cloth wraps from Lush.

Fabric is just as colourful and festive as single-use wrapping paper.
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Global Solutions To Recycling Textiles

textile recycling global

From a global perspective, various methods have been employed for dealing with textile waste at different scales. 

The name for the “old school” method of recycling textile waste is by producing a material called shoddy, where fabric mills sell unusable fabric by weight (aka “pound goods”) to manufacturers for the creation of rags, insulation, mattress padding, etc. Post-consumer garments can be used too…You may have heard of insulation made from denim? That’s basically shoddy!

Companies like H&M, Levi’s, and The North Face collect old garments and work with a company who sorts them and decides what can be resold vs. what is essentially shoddy.

Currently circular textile solutions like fibre-to-fibre recycling through mechanical, chemical, or thermal recycling methods are in the research and development phase. Where these technologies have been developed, they are not yet used at scale.

Numerous brands are starting to create “monomaterial” products, which are made completely of one fibre, such as polyester. This would make the item easier to recycle as the components (fabrics, zippers, buttons, etc.) wouldn’t have to be separated prior to processing. One exciting example of this is the Helly Hansen Lifa Infinity Pro material, which is a waterproof, laminated fabric made entirely of polypropylene! 

Several mills around the world have programs to use pre-consumer (production waste) and post-consumer (used items) textiles as inputs for their recycled content. Examples include Teijin Fabrics eco-circle (polyester), Infinited Fiber (cellulose fibres), and Worn Again (polyester, cotton, and poly/cotton blends). While they don’t usually interact directly with the general public, they would partner with brands and other textile manufacturers to process the input materials and turn them back into usable fibres.

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Exploring Innovative Textile Recycling Across Canada

textile recycling in canada

Today we’re expanding on our discussion of avenues for textile waste. Within Canada, there are various initiatives at the provincial, municipal, or company level. We’ve listed some examples of these initiatives below.

In April 2017, the City of Markham banned textiles from the garbage. Instead, residents drop off their unwanted textiles in bins located throughout the city where they are picked up and sorted for reuse or downcycling into products such as stuffing or insulation. As someone commented on our previous post about avenues for textile waste within Edmonton, second-hand or thrift stores like Goodwill also make their unwearable donations into items such as rags.

Similar initiatives have been introduced elsewhere such as Nova Scotia where a collective of six organizations have come together to form the Association for Textile Recycling (AFTeR). In 2015 alone, 11 million pounds (~4990 tonnes) of textiles were collected in Nova Scotia, with only 5% ending up as waste. BC’s Return-it Textiles program has diverted more than 485 tonnes of textiles since 2019 through its 46 drop-off locations. 

Check out the report Fashion Takes Action published entitled ‘A Feasibility Study of Textile Recycling in Canada’ which you can download for free on their website. They are currently conducting a mechanical textile recycling pilot with 100% polyester post-consumer garments. 

General Recycled is a Canadian company which has recently expanded and scaled up its operations in Quebec. They take used FR coveralls made from aramid fibres to be shredded and reincorporated into new coveralls. We hope they’ll be able to expand into other fibre types in future!

Canadian company Native Shoes collect their shoes back from customers when they’re no longer usable, and the shoes are ground up and used in the construction of playgrounds.

All these amazing ways to reduce fashion and textile waste, and just in Canada — stay tuned for our evaluation of textile waste reduction internationally.

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Black Friday And Fast Fashion

black friday and fast fashion

If you follow The Guardian, then you may have seen the alarming images of textile waste in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Earlier this month, Agence France-Presse shared photos of over 39,000 tonnes of discarded second-hand and unsold clothing that are imported and landfilled in Chile. AFP News Agency attributes this clothing waste to the fast fashion industry. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, over 100 billion garments are produced each year!

This Friday, November 26 is Black Friday, followed by Cyber Monday on November 29. @retailcouncilcanada’s 4th annual Holiday Shopping Survey 2021 states that of the 2,500 Canadian consumers surveyed, 43% plan to shop on Black Friday, with 35% planning to shop on Cyber Monday. Clothing is the top category that consumers plan to spend their money on. 

So, what can you do to avoid impulse clothing purchases this year?

@cariumagreentips suggests asking yourself these five questions before making a purchase:

  1. Do I need it?
  2. Do I have something similar?
  3. How often will I wear it?
  4. Is it made to last?
  5. Do I love it?

If the higher purchase price of a sustainably or ethically produced garment compared to fast fashion clothing is a barrier, then consider looking for deals from the retailers that you otherwise couldn’t afford on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Think about the purchase as an investment, as higher quality garments last longer and need to be replaced less often. A trick for this is to think about the use value you will get out of a longer-lasting piece. To do this, divide the total cost by how many times you think you may use the item to justify spending the higher initial cost. 

Learn about the impacts of your purchases before buying. Check out the comprehensive reading list Fashion Revolution developed for Black Friday about fast fashion production, consumption, and waste.

Photos of the Atacama Desert from @martinbernetti_photojournalist

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Donating Fashion and Textiles in Edmonton

Donating textiles in Edmonton

Dealing with textile waste is really tricky business, as our clothes are more often than not made up of a blend of different fibres and materials. Polyester/cotton t-shirts, acrylic/nylon scarves, coated backpack fabrics, and laminated waterproof jackets mean that it’s difficult to separate various components for effective recycling and reuse. With that in mind, what are our options for processing textile waste?

Within Edmonton, the City of Edmonton’s WasteWise app suggests that clothing in good condition be reused through donation, resale, or given away and offers a list of potential donation avenues through its Reuse Directory. The Directory lists nonprofit organizations such as Bissell Thrift Shop, MCC Thrift Shop, Salvation Army Thrift Store, and Goodwill. You can also donate to local small businesses like Chubby Fem Thrift. Make sure to check with these organizations first in case there are items they do not accept. Note that this is not an exhaustive list and that other nonprofit and for-profit organizations accept clothing donations as well. 

Outdoor clothing bins located throughout the City are owned and operated by different companies (e.g. Value Village) with proceeds of these donations benefiting various programs or charities. If these bins are full, do not leave your items outside! Clothing that gets wet from rain or snow can become mouldy or smelly, making it no longer sellable.

Unfortunately, Edmonton does not have a formal municipal textile recycling program. The WasteWise app suggests throwing these items in the garbage. However, you can repurpose your unusable textiles to divert them from landfill. Searching “repurposed clothing” or “upcycled clothing” will give you many ideas to creatively make use of these items. Blenderz Garment Recyclers make and sell craft kits and items made from unwearable items, which would be a great place to start and support a local business!