Organic fashion and textiles

We are in a climate emergency. Textiles is the world’s second most polluting industry, and fast fashion is a big part of the problem. You can help by choosing organic clothes and textiles. It's better for the environment, for people and nature.

What’s the problem with fast fashion?

The fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water. It's responsible for 10% of global pollution. That's more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

We’re buying 5 times more than we did in the 1980s. Yet, it's estimated that we've only worn one third of the clothes in our wardrobes in the last year.

One answer to fast fashion is to buy less, but buy sustainable, eco-friendly, organic clothing.

What are organic fashion and textiles?

Most organic clothing is made from cotton. But, organic textiles can come from other materials too, such as hemp, flax (linen) and wool. These fibres come from crops or animals that are grown or raised on organic farms. The way that we farm makes a big difference to their environmental impact.

Organic farming protects animal welfare and uses natural methods to grow crops. Organic farmers don’t use dangerous synthetic pesticides. This is better for the soil and better for the farmers as they aren’t putting their health at risk to make our clothes. Genetically modified (GM) seeds are also banned.

Organic is a sustainable choice, but, when you see the word sustainable on a label this doesn’t mean it’s organic. To be sure what you are buying is truly organic, look for one of the organic certification symbols.

Which organic symbols should I look for?

Clothes and textiles can be labelled as organic without being certified organic. Look for the Soil Association or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) symbols. This means the item has organic certification. It's made with organic fibres, to strict environmental and social standards where:

• workers' rights are protected
• working conditions are safe and hygienic
• only low impact dyes and inks are used
• wastewater is treated properly
• energy and water use is monitored

Where can I find organic brands?

You can use Soil Association's certification checker to check whether brands are certified under our organic standards.

You can also find other brands who sell organic on the Good On You website or app. It's the world’s leading source for fashion brand ratings. It gives brands an easy to understand score based on how ethical and sustainable they are.

Soil Association also has our very own organic clothing range, which you can browse on our shop.