Its a good idea to know the differences between natural and organic fabrics before we go out trying to purchase either of them. Here are some things that Ive been able to put together from the studying Ive done.
Natural fibers are those found, well in nature. The most common natural fibers used to make clothing are cotton, hemp, ramie, linen, wool, and silk. The use of natural fibers extends back beyond recorded history with archaeological evidence indicating that wool and flax were being woven into fabrics by the sixth century BC. Natural fibers can be split into three main groups.
1. Vegetable fibers- these are the fibers that come from plants. Flax, cotton, and hemp fall under this group.
2. Protein fibers come from the wool and hair of animals. Among these are wool, alpaca, and cashmere.
3. Silk is a group all in itself. Silk comes from silkworms.
Organic fibers are produced of natural fibers that are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. That means your 100-percent cotton T-shirt may be an entirely natural fabric, but nowhere near organic. The best breakdown I have found of different types of Organic fabrics comes from Annette Stelmack at GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. It is a bit lengthy, but it has good information, so I decided to post in its entirety (photos added).
Because its so important to know what you are buying, here are some good things that Ive been able to research and find out about when it comes to sustainable natural fibers for rugs and fabrics.
Organic Cotton produces strong fibers due to the fact that it hasnt been chemically processed. Organic Cotton avoids that by not using any chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides. Using sustainable agricultural methods, farmers have been able to reduce, and at times eliminate, annoying pests from the cotton. These are in essence more safe because they reduce the damage to the environment, healthy risks, and damaged soil.
On the flip side, manufacturing organic cotton requires large amounts of water; when possible, look for crops from fields that receive sufficient rainfall to irrigate the crops. Biologist Sally Fox developed colored organic cotton with fibers long enough to be spun into thread. It grows naturally in shades of green, brown, and natural, with the added benefit of being fade resistant. Organic cotton is rapidly renewable, minimally processed, absorbent, reusable, recyclable, and, ultimately, biodegradable.
Organic wool is a amazingly strong and attractive fiber that can last a very long time. It doesnt come without some debate through. A lot of water is sued during the processes of scouring the wool, this makes a lot of water waste. Also, some say that high levels of carbon dioxide are emitted from sheep, and that this is horrible for the environment.
Organic wool has some amazing features. For example, it is reusable, recylcable, stain resistant, and biodegradable. There are also some things that it is smart to look for when picking out wool. You want to make sure that it is dyed well and either bleached with ozone-based products or unbleached all together.
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