Quality Fibres and Sustainability

Every garment carries a footprint — water, land, energy, labor. The most sustainable garment is the one that already exists. Rewoven is built on a simple idea: extending the life of well-made, quality pieces.

Fashion Footprint

  • In 2018 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that 66% of discarded textiles ended up in landfills.

  • About 60% of textiles contain microplastics which may leach and accumulate in soil and groundwater as discarded textiles decompose in landfills. In addition, laundering textiles causes around half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres to be released into the ocean every year.

  • Recycling is an alternative to the landfill, but textile recycling is currently limited due to the ease and cost of the recycling process.

Sources: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Pile of used clothing in landfill processing center.
Stack of folded natural fibre textiles.

The Case for Natural Fibres

  • They biodegrade. Linen, cotton, wool, and silk return to the soil at the end of a long life. Synthetic fibres can persist for centuries and shed microplastics into waterways with every wash.

  • They are built to be loved long. Natural fibres age gracefully. They soften, they patinate, they hold dye, shape, and memory.

  • They breathe, regulate, and feel good against the skin, which means people wear them more, replace them less, and love them longer.