Laundry - we all hate doing it, but have you considered what impact your weekly washes are having on the environment? When you factor in the water usage, the energy needed, the chemicals in your detergent, the microplastics coming off your clothes...well, it becomes a clear environmental issue.
The first step to reducing the impact your clothes have is by choosing the right materials. We may talk a lot about the latest must-have style, or in ‘in’ colour of the season, but what those items are actually made of tends to be neglected. And yet, just by being selective with the types of materials you wear you can have a huge impact. In fact, two-thirds of a garments environmental and biodiversity impact is decided at the material stage! So what materials should you be wearing?
The most sustainable fabrics are:
Linen – can grow just about anywhere and requires hardly any water to grow. A linen shirt uses 6.4l of water compared to 26l for a cotton shirt! Also, very part of the linen plant is used, reducing waste. AND it is fully biodegradable, and can biodegrade in just 2 weeks.
Organic Cotton – despite it’s high water usage, organic cotton means that the cotton is harvested without any toxic pesticides or fertilizers. However, make sure to check the item has been GOTS-Certified and is authentically organic.
Bamboo – due to the fast-growing nature of bamboo, this material is considered more sustainable. It also biodegrades quicker than oil-based materials.
Tencel/Lyocell – is created from the Eucalyptus tree wood pulp, which come from sustainable FSC certified plantations. Also, wood is considered a renewable raw material. Look for Oeko Tex Certified Tencel to ensure that the dyes used are non-toxic too.
However, I doubt many of us have these clothes hanging in our wardrobe, or can find these materials in our local high-street clothes store. What about the clothes you already have, how can you lessen there impact? Well, taking care of your clothes properly ensures they live longer and don’t end up in landfill.
The first step to this is knowing how often you actually need to wash your clothes:
After every wear – socks, pants, t-shirts, work out clothes
After 1-3 wears – shorts, dresses, sweaters, shirts
After 3-4 wears – bras, pyjamas
After 5-7 wears – jackets, skirts, hoodies, smart trousers
What about denim? Denim production is devastating for the environment, which is why it is important to care for your denim items. Follow these three simple steps:
Washing – every 10 wears, inside out, and with cold water
Remove stains – using a damp cloth with mild soap
Drying – air dry, dryers will cause the denim to shrink
The next step is understanding what the labels on your clothing actually mean. There are so many different washing symbols, that it can be difficult to know exactly what each of they represent. This guide by @1millionwomen is so helpful!
So we’ve stopped buying un-sustainable materials, and are taking better care of the ones we already own, what’s next?
Laundry isn’t just the clothes we put in the machine, but the detergents we use too. You can find some great eco-friendly and plastic-free alternatives on the market.
My favourite is smol, for less than £5 you can get your laundry capsules delivered (plastic-free!) to your home as often as you need. You can access a free trial through us, here.
And that is everything you need to know about laundry! Hopefully these tips can save you money, but most importantly lessen your environmental impact.
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We share simple eco friendly tips to help you lead an imperfect sustainable lifestyle. We believe that "small steps are still steps" and that we can all have a positive impact on the planet - no matter how small.
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- Naomi x