Did you know that non-biodegradable clothing takes between 20 and 200 years to disintegrate?
Non-biodegradable fabrics are made from synthetic fibers. Fabrics like polyester, elastane, nylon, and rayon can take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to disintegrate.
Biodegradable textiles:
Cotton: Cotton is one of the most biodegradable fabrics there can be, especially if its composition is 100% cotton. Cotton can biodegrade in as little as a week, but it usually takes about 5 months to do so.
Linen: This fabric can break down in as little as two weeks if it is all-natural. If you want to get rid of a linen fabric that is worn out, it is recommended to cut the fabric into small pieces to help it decompose quickly.
Wool: Clothing made of wool fabric decomposes in approximately one year, however, it can take up to five years depending on the mixture of which it is made.
Bamboo: Clothing made from bamboo fabric has gained a lot of popularity over time and its decomposition period is similar to that of wool, although it can take a little longer to biodegrade.
Hemp: Hemp comes from plants and is hardly over-processed, so it is highly biodegradable and breaks down in a very short time.
Silk: This fabric is made from the cocoons of silkworms and is also highly biodegradable as it is totally natural.
Rayon: Rayon is a material through which modal and lyocell are manufactured, produced from plants with renewable cellulose, such as beech, pine and bamboo that are biodegradable.
Other biodegradable fabrics are: Jute, leaf fibers and abaca fiber, as well as cork, seeds, shells, nuts and wood.