Environmentally Friendly Materials

What?

Materials and production methods that in different ways consider the environment in a positive way.

Why?

Environmentally friendly materials are used to minimize pollution and use of resources in materials and production and disposal.

Challenges

• Environmentally friendly materials can be many things and it is just necessary to define, how it is environmental.
• A product may not necessarily be environmental friendly even if the material is.
• Environmentally friendly materials might compete with less expensive alternatives.

Examples

• Use of organic cotton instead of conventionally grown cotton; see e.g. the Danish company Organic Basics .
• Conventional plastics (such as Polyester and Nylon) that are made by using renewable components; see for example the Plantbottle initiative.
• The company Stenpapir has made an alternative to paper made from wood-pulp that is Cradle to Cradle certified.

Further Reading

Allwood & Cullen (2011). Sustainable Materials – With Both Eyes Open: Future Building, Vehicles, Products and Equipment – Made Efficiently and Made with Less New Material. UIT Cambridge.

Fletcher & Grose (2012). Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. Laurence King Publishing, London.