Natural Materials

Natural materials are viewed as being more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but as with most things, all materials are only sustainable if used in moderation. The great thing about natural materials is they are not toxic to the environment (unless chemical bleaches, dyes, etc. have been used). But excessive farming and harvesting can cause problems. For instance cotton is a great natural fibre, it is versatile, durable, breathable and biodegradable, but it requires ALOT of water in order to grow cotton plants. The vast amount of cotton used within the fast fashion industry has pushed cotton production to the point that the fourth largest lake in the world has been completely dried up. The rivers that fed the inland sea had been diverted in order to supply cotton farms with the necessary water. The loss of this body of water destroyed the local fishing communities and released salt and pesticides into the atmosphere which poisoned farm land (Hoskins, 2014). 
So even when using "sustainable" materials, we must keep in mind that they are only sustainable when we use them responsible.


 

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