Have you heard of Plastic Free July? It is part of a global movement to reduce plastic pollution created by single use plastic products. But did you know that the same substance (petroleum) used to make plastics is also used to make polyester fabrics? There are some good alternatives to traditional polyesters (ie: recycled polyester) and some good reasons you may want to have some synthetic materials in your clothing (ie: longevity, availability, stretch). However, today I wanted to highlight some of the products in the shop that may interest you if you are looking to add more natural and reusable items to your everyday life.
Clothing
You won’t find any polyester clothing in the shop, but some of the fabrics do contain a small percentage of spandex (another synthetic material) to give them stretch. If you are trying to avoid all synthetics, you might like the following ‘plastic free’ pieces, made from 100% cotton or linen fabrics.
Note: We do use polyester thread on all clothing. It has a much higher tensile strength than the cotton alternatives, and we do not want your clothing to fall apart or become easily torn or damaged.
(1) 100% Linen Clothing
Linen is one of the worlds oldest fibres. It is a beautiful and strong fabric that gets softer with every wash. You can find all the linen items available in the shop here, including pinafore style aprons, skirts and dresses.
(2) 100% Organic Cotton Clothing
Organic cotton is soft and beautiful, and a customer favourite for good reason! Our organic cotton has been ethically manufactured right here in Canada. Some of our organic cotton clothing also contains spandex for stretch, but if you are looking for 100%, you’ll love the Jeans Jersey Joggers, Black French Terry Joggers, and Black French Terry Sweatshirts found in the shop here.
(3) Reusable Plastic Free Products
I also stock a few zero-waste and reusable products to help you live a more sustainable life. Several of these products utilize scrap fabric that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Reusable Rounds
These pads started out as reusable nursing pads for breastfeeding moms, but now often get purchased as reusable facial rounds for skin care. They are SO soft and easy to wash, making them great for either use. You can find more great uses for them in the article here.
Reusable Cloth Pads
Have you ever tried cloth pads? Reusable cloth pads were one of the first things I sold when I started my sewing business in 2014. You’ll love this wonderful swap for disposable pads! Cloth pads can be made in all sorts of materials to suit your preferences. The cloth pads I sell in my shop are a zero-waste project, where I utilize scrap material to make the tops and absorbent cores.
Reusable Market Totes
You can go plastic free at the grocery store and try an all cotton alternative! Our market totes are ethically made in a partner factory in Canada, with durable 100% cotton canvas. They are a beautiful and unique alternative to the polyester store branded bags that seem to be everywhere.
Go DIY
Are you looking to try something DIY? You should try this tee-shirt sewing kit in charcoal grey jersey. It features fabric made from 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, and is packaged completely plastic free in a reusable linen drawstring bag! You can reuse the pattern to make many more tees from your own favourite fabrics.
You might not be able to get rid of all the plastic or disposable products in your life, but every little change helps make a difference. Please share some of your #plasticfree swaps in the comments below!
