The story woven into every thread
At TE’VAI, we often say that clothing is never just clothing. It’s a story — of resources used, people impacted, and ecosystems changed. That story begins with the fibers themselves.
Most garments today are made from one of two types of textile fibers: homogeneous fibers, like 100% cotton or polyester, and non-homogeneous blends, like cotton-polyester mixes. These structural differences may sound like technical jargon, but they carry deep environmental and social consequences — especially as the fashion industry struggles to reconcile convenience with sustainability.
So which fabric choice actually supports the future we want to wear?
What’s in a Fiber?
Homogeneous fibers are made from a single material — a purist’s dream. Think 100% cotton, linen, wool, or polyester. Their singular nature makes them easier to recycle, reuse, or return to the earth.
Blended, or non-homogeneous, fibers are combinations of two or more materials. Cotton-polyester is one of the most common examples, prized for being both soft and durable. But blending materials also blends their fates — making them much harder to recycle and nearly impossible to compost.
While blends may offer short-term functional benefits like wrinkle resistance or stretch, they come at a long-term cost: they clog recycling systems, shed microplastics, and take centuries to degrade.
A Recycling System on the Brink
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over 11 million tons of textiles are landfilled every year in the United States alone — and only around 15% is recycled. The core reason? Most of our clothes are blends that recycling systems cannot handle efficiently.
EU data paints an even grimmer picture: just 1% of discarded textiles are recycled into new clothing. The rest are incinerated, landfilled, or shipped overseas. Often, these unwanted garments are dumped in countries like Ghana, where local ecosystems are overwhelmed, as recently reported by The Guardian in 2025.
By contrast, natural homogeneous fibers like 100% cotton can be shredded and spun into new yarn, or composted to nourish the soil. Even synthetic homogeneous fibers like polyester are more manageable when they stand alone — they can be melted and re-spun into new fiber, even if the process isn’t yet perfect.
The Illusion of Sustainable Fast Fashion
As awareness around sustainability grows, many major fast fashion companies have launched “green” collections or in-store recycling programs to appeal to conscious consumers. But multiple investigations and reports have questioned the substance behind these initiatives.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), global fashion production exceeds 100 billion garments annually. Even with recycling campaigns, the sheer volume of output makes genuine sustainability nearly impossible. Small-scale “eco” efforts often serve as marketing tactics that distract from the far larger issue of overproduction.
Many of these campaigns use vague language — terms like “conscious,” “eco-friendly,” or “green” — without third-party verification or transparent data. Meanwhile, discarded clothing from high-volume fashion retailers often ends up in countries that serve as the world’s dumping grounds for textile waste, where they overwhelm local economies and ecosystems.
Greenwashing — the practice of masking unsustainable practices with vague or misleading marketing — remains rampant. Many brands continue to flood markets with blended-fiber garments that can’t be reused, recycled, or composted, despite slapping on a “conscious” or “eco” tag.
What’s worse, these items often end up in landfills or polluting vulnerable communities. In Bangladesh, over 570,000 metric tons of textile waste are generated annually by the fashion industry. According to Reuters, most of it cannot be processed domestically and is dumped, burned, or sold into unsafe, informal recycling workshops.
The Invisible Threat: Microplastics and Water Waste
Not all damage is visible. Synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, and acrylic — especially when blended — are key contributors to microplastic pollution. With every wash, they release microscopic plastic particles into our waterways. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that 35% of microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles.
The environmental burden of conventional cotton is also significant: it takes around 700 gallons of water to produce just one cotton T-shirt. But that story changes dramatically when you switch to organic cotton, which uses significantly less water, avoids toxic pesticides, and supports healthier farming systems.
Still, even water use is preferable to the long-term ecological damage of synthetic blends, which can remain in soil and water systems for hundreds of years.
Why TE’VAI Favors Natural, Homogeneous Fibers
At TE’VAI, we design with the end in mind. That’s why we prioritize fabrics like 100% organic cotton, which are not only breathable, soft, and hypoallergenic, but also aligned with circular, regenerative practices.
Yes, cotton can wrinkle. No, it doesn’t stretch like spandex. But these so-called flaws are also signs of authenticity — of a fabric that breathes, decomposes, and returns to the earth without leaving toxic traces behind.
In the long run, the perfect fabric isn’t the one that stretches the most — it’s the one that doesn’t stretch the planet beyond repair.
Where Do We Go from Here?
The shift we need isn’t just about better materials. It’s about better values. That means rethinking fast fashion’s disposable mindset and embracing a slower, more intentional model.
Governments must regulate greenwashing and enforce extended producer responsibility. The industry must invest in fiber-sorting technologies and chemical recycling innovations. And as consumers, we hold the power to support brands that are honest, transparent, and circular.
Every time you choose a garment made from 100% cotton — preferably organic — you’re making a decision that supports biodiversity, reduces landfill waste, and respects the people who make our clothes.
Because fashion should feel good — for you, and for the planet.
Sources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Textiles: Material-Specific Data.” epa.gov
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “Sustainable Fashion and Textiles.” unep.org
European Parliament. “The Impact of Textile Production and Waste.” europarl.europa.eu
The Guardian. “Discarded Clothes from UK Brands Dumped in Ghana Wetlands.” theguardian.com
Reuters. “Textile Giant Bangladesh Pushed to Recycle More Waste.” reuters.com
IUCN. “Primary Microplastics in the Oceans.” iucn.org
MDPI. “Recycling of Blended Fibres: Sustainable Solutions.” mdpi.com