Clothes

Clothes have been made using natural fibres for thousands of years. More recently, synthetic fibres have been introduced and are now widely used in clothes manufacturing. These synthetic fibres include polyester and nylon, which are both manufactured from oil.

A report on clothing and the environment called 'Well Dressed?' was published by the University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing. The report found that every year we each buy around 55kg of textiles. Two thirds of imported textiles in the UK are made from synthetic materials.

You can choose to wear natural fibres instead of oil-based ones: just look for cotton, linen, hemp or plant fibre on the label. Even stinging nettles can be made into clothes.

In terms of overall carbon footprint, some synthetic fabrics might be better than natural fibres. For example, polyester often dries more quickly and doesn't need ironing as much as cotton or linen: this can make it a more energy efficient fabric.

Cotton can be a major greenhouse gas emitter because of the large amounts of fertilisers used in its production. Organic cotton may be a better environmental choice. For more information on sustainable cotton, please visit the sustainable cotton project website.

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