Fashion for the Earth
Eco-Innovations Reshaping the Clothing Market
August 6, 2025
Over 11 million tons of clothing and footwear end up in landfills or incinerators in the United States alone every year. While people are making efforts to switch to more sustainable methods of shopping, such as thrifting and buying fewer clothes, these methods do little to attack the root cause.
It is estimated that between 100 and 150 billion articles of clothing are produced each year, polluting air and water, damaging the earth’s ecosystems, and harming all living things that rely on the earth’s increasingly finite resources. Materials like polyester and clothing dyes shed microfibers and toxins that enter and disrupt ecosystems, while clothing packaging is discarded and sent to landfills where it doesn’t biodegrade. Even though it may seem convenient and economical for consumers, the fast-fashion model of clothing production is creating irreversible damage to the climate. The fashion industry needs to change, but voluntary efforts from fashion companies have not resulted in progress.
However, despite the growing issue of fast fashion there are many recent innovations that could help shift the industry towards a more sustainable future. Companies using natural resources and unique processes to produce planet-friendly clothing and packaging offer hope for change to a destructive industry.
Alternative Materials
Global fiber production is projected to grow to 146 million metric tons by 2030. One innovation that could change the game for sustainable clothing production is the creation of eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives.
Mango Materials, a bioenergy startup that produces biodegradable plastics, creates fiber grade pellets that offer a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based polyester. The process involves converting methane gas into a naturally occurring biopolymer. To do this, ancient bacteria convert methane gas into PHA, which acts as a base polymer that has many applications, including creating a groundbreaking and cost-effective alternative to polyester fabric. Mango Materials’ process can replace the synthetic materials used in athletic wear and shoes, which produce greenhouse gas emissions when created as well as contribute to microplastic pollution.
Another company innovating the fabric materials market is Ecovative. Ecovative creates plastics and textiles from lab-grown mycelium, or fungus roots. The company works with tanneries to convert the materials into leather alternatives. The process is ocean-safe and generates compostable leather with 50% lower carbon dioxide emissions than traditional leather. They also partner with Reformation, a company that sells sustainable clothing.
Creating and promoting eco-friendly fabrics over unsustainable, synthetic clothing could help put an end to one part of the fast-fashion crisis. If more fashion brands elect to switch to these fabric alternatives, companies like Mango Materials and Ecovative will gain traction and eventually become the widespread choice for clothing materials.
Eco and Human-Safe Dyes
Brightly colored clothes are eye-catching and fun, but the chemical dyes used to produce vibrant colors are dangerous to both the environment and human health. In addition to using and polluting large amounts of water in their production, 60-70% of all fabric dyes are carcinogenic. While this is an alarming statistic, there are several safe dyes entering the market in an effort to reduce the industry’s environmental and health impacts.
Denim is a staple in many wardrobes, but the well-known indigo hue contains synthetic chemicals and harms ecosystems by darkening the color of river water and polluting it with toxins. However, the good news is that CleanKORE provides a solution. The company uses a patented technology that coats fibers in dye rather than soaking them through. This significantly reduces the amount of water and chemicals used in the dying process without requiring manufacturers to purchase new chemicals or equipment, making it incredibly cost-effective.
Another trailblazing start-up that is making fabric dye safer for the environment is Ever Dye. Ever Dye is a zero-waste dying process that uses biobased pigments and a simple mechanical filter that releases clean water into the ecosystem, all while using less water, heat, and time. When companies like Ever Dye pair with large clothing manufacturers, the dying process becomes less harmful for us and the earth.
Packaging with a Purpose
With almost every article of clothing shipped to our homes, more plastic waste is generated and ends up in landfills. Packaging may be overlooked when considering the environmental impact of the fashion industry, but using sustainable packaging is just as important as using eco-friendly materials. Fortunately, there are solutions.
For example, Sway is turning abundantly growing natural materials into plastic bags. Sway’s 100% compostable Polybags are high-quality clothing bags made from seaweed polymers and printed with ink derived from algae. The innovative packaging meets industry and supply chain standards while promoting healthier ecosystems.
In addition to Sway, Greenhope is also making a biodegradable plastic bag alternative. Made from locally sourced starches, Greenhope packaging is compostable in home and industrial settings and can break down in just 12 weeks, whereas regular plastics take anywhere from 10 to hundreds of years to decompose. Also, instead of leaving toxic microplastics in the environment, Greenhope bags have been proven to promote plant growth by adding nutrients to the soil when they biodegrade.
Conclusion
From fiber to finish, there are many innovations that could revolutionize the fashion industry and move it towards an eco-friendly future. Pioneers in fashion are finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of fibers and dyes and develop packaging methods that can promote healthy plant growth and soil when they decompose.
If companies continue adopting biodegradable, water friendly, and plastic-free alternatives to clothing materials, the industry could begin to reach the goal of sustainability and reverse its never-ending exploitation of earth’s resources and damage to the environment. Do your part by looking for brands that partner with sustainable innovators and by buying clothes made of low-impact materials, and the Green makeover can begin.
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