Reference library
Sustainable materials, decoded
What each material actually is, what certifications mean on the label, and the trade-offs greenwashing won't tell you about.
Organic Cotton
Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides or GMOs, certified by GOTS or OCS.
Recycled Polyester (rPET)
Polyester fiber made from recycled PET, usually post-consumer plastic bottles.
Hemp
Fast-growing bast fiber that needs little water, no pesticides, and improves soil.
FSC-Certified Wood
Wood and paper from forests independently certified for sustainable management.
Lyocell (Tencel)
Closed-loop wood-pulp fiber with 99% solvent recovery, silky drape, biodegradable.
Bamboo
Fast-growing grass — sustainable as a raw material, often problematic as fabric.
Recycled Aluminum
Infinitely recyclable metal that uses 95% less energy than virgin production.
Cork
Bark harvested without felling the tree — renewable every 9 years.
Cupro (Vegan Silk)
A silky, breathable regenerated cellulose fibre made from cotton linter waste in a closed-loop process — often marketed as 'vegan silk'.
No material is clean in every dimension
Every fibre and feedstock trades one impact for another. Conventional cotton is renewable but thirsty and pesticide-heavy. Recycled polyester diverts bottles from landfill yet still sheds microplastics in the wash. Bamboo grows fast without irrigation, but most bamboo fabric is chemically regenerated viscose unless it carries a closed-loop certification. Choosing well means picking the trade-off you can live with for that specific product and how long you'll keep it.
| Material | Strongest at | Weakest at | Look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic cotton | Soil health, skin safety | Water use, yield per hectare | GOTS |
| Hemp | Low input, soil regeneration | Coarse hand-feel, limited mills | EU-grown, mechanically retted |
| Recycled polyester | Diverts waste, durable | Microplastic shedding | GRS |
| Lyocell / TENCEL | Closed-loop solvent recovery | Energy-intensive processing | TENCEL branded, FSC pulp |
| FSC wood | Traceable forestry | Transport distance | FSC 100% or FSC Recycled |
| Bamboo | Fast growth, no irrigation | Usually chemical viscose | Lyocell process or OEKO-TEX |
How to read a materials label
- Find the composition. Percentages by weight tell you what the product mostly is — ignore the marketing name on the front.
- Check for a process claim. 'Bamboo' alone means viscose; 'bamboo lyocell' means closed-loop solvent recovery.
- Match the certification to the fibre. GOTS for organic naturals, GRS for recycled synthetics, FSC for wood and paper, OEKO-TEX for chemical residue.
- Weigh it against lifespan. A durable synthetic kept ten years often beats a natural fibre replaced annually.
Frequently asked
Is natural always better than synthetic?+
No. Natural fibres avoid microplastics but can carry heavy land, water and pesticide costs. Recycled synthetics win on durability and waste diversion. The right answer depends on the product's use and expected lifespan.
What does a blended fabric mean for recycling?+
Blends are far harder to recycle because fibres must be separated chemically. Single-fibre products, or blends above 95% one material, are the most recyclable.
Which certification should I trust most?+
GOTS is the strictest for organic textiles because it covers both environmental and labour criteria across the full chain. GRS is the equivalent benchmark for recycled content.
What this materials hub covers
Material pages explain what a fibre, plastic or finish really is, how it performs, and which standards audit it. It exists because most product claims live or die on the material behind them.
Each entry links back to the products, brands and certifications it affects, so a reference page is never a dead end — you can move straight from understanding a term to the verified products that meet it.
Everything here is written in plain language first and technical detail second. Where a claim depends on a standard, we name the standard and the body that audits it so you can check it yourself.
How to use this hub
| Goal | Where to start | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Decode a label | Find the term or certification entry | Open the linked product ranking |
| Compare two options | Read both entries side by side | Use the compare tool on shortlisted products |
| Avoid a bad buy | Check the warnings and exclusions | Filter rankings by the certification you trust |
Reference-checking essentials
- Name the standardA trustworthy claim cites a scheme, not just an adjective.
- Check who audits itThird-party accreditation beats self-declaration every time.
- Confirm the scopeCoverage is often per product line or per factory, not company-wide.
- Note the dateCertificates expire; an undated claim tells you nothing about today.