10 Sustainable Fabrics for Your Home

From bamboo sheets to yoga rugs made from recycled Indian saris, learn which sustainable fabrics can green up your home and wardrobe.

A lot of the fabrics we wear, sleep under and sit on are actually made of plastic. And more and more, we’re realizing how problematic these fabrics are.

Synthetics like nylon, polyester and microfiber contaminate our waterways with microplastics and introduce harmful dyes and fumes into our homes. They also contribute to climate change from start to finish because they’re largely made from petrochemicals (aka fossil fuels).

“In the 1960s, natural fibers made up 80% of apparel and household textiles,” says John Gage, co-founder of Appalachian Gear Company. “Today, synthetics make up between two-thirds and three-quarters. This is an astonishing change.”

But as awareness grows about today’s environmental problems, sustainable fabrics are making a comeback.

“Virtually all households and home settings use some form of fabric or textile, which is why it’s such a pivotal area that we chose to focus on,” says Aaron Hobson, vice president of product operations at Cariloha.