Textile Tuesday – Sustainable Textiles

This month we are focusing on sustainable textiles.  It is amazing how many more options are out there now than there were just a few years ago.  As the demand has grown, so have all of our options.  These days you can still find very natural looking sustainable textiles similar to a couple we are featuring below, but now you can also find brightly colored modern textiles as well.  Gone are the days with limited options.  This month we are loving a couple new materials that textiles can be made of, a multi-company collaboration to create a sustainable textile and a newer company that is producing bright, modern, and environmentally conscious textiles.

Banana Fiber Fabric

1.)    Banana Fiber Fabric – We love this sheer fabric made from banana fibers.  The fibers are made into thread and then weaved into fabric.  The banana tree which the fiber is from is chemical and pesticide free and grown by small farmers and cooperative organizations.  This particular material does have a very natural feel to it that is typically expected of sustainable textiles.

Multi-Layered Pina Fiber (image via Mark Aldane Tumang)

2.)    Pineapple Fiber Fabric – This fabric is woven from long, fine fibers obtained from the leaves of pineapple plants.  The fibers produce resilient fabrics used for sheer, silky fabrics.  The cloth is naturally wear-resistant and easy to clean.  It is a great textile for use in home design.  Although this fabric also takes on a very expected, natural look, the silky quality that can be produced from the fibers gives this fabric a more luxurious look and feel compared to what we found with the banana Fiber Fabric.

Kambamboo Textiles

3.)    Kambamboo – We stumbled across this company recently and absolutely LOVE the modern designs in their collection.  The company does not claim to be 100% sustainable, but they are focused on making environmentally good choices with their products and materials.  They like to be sustainable and use environmentally friendly processes and materials whenever possible.  Take a look at their website to see all they offer from fabrics to home accessories, bags, and products for children.  The patterns are all very modern and offered in vibrant colors that will add a pop of color to any space.  We love that you do not initially think these are sustainable textiles when you first look at them, but they are.  The fabrics are hand screen printed using water based inks on Organic Cotton and Hemp.

Designtex – Loop 2 Loop Multi-company collaborative process

4.)    Loop 2 Loop – Lastly we have a multi-company collaboration producing a “closed-loop” system that creates a textile made of recycled material that can then be recycled again into original quality fibers and yarn to produce the textile once again.  It is a never ending cycle.  Steelcase office furniture, Designtex (textile design), Victor (textile manufacturer), and Unifi (recycling). Below is a video to help explain the process.

 

We hope these options help to show you some more natural materials that textiles are being made from as well as to illustrate the fact that all sustainable textiles do not look natural.  Now there are more modern options than ever to choose from.  You are sure to find a sustainable textile you love to add a pop of color to your home.