Is beech tree fiber vegan and sustainable? These are questions every ethical consumer asks. Here is how buying beech tree fiber will impact you, the environment, animals and laborers.
Fabric, materials and textiles are things we consume often. If you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on beech tree fiber.
You are going to learn all about beech tree fiber’s vegan and sustainability status. Additionally, the following info will include beech tree fiber advantages and disadvantages for your home, whether beech tree fiber is a natural fiber, biodegradable…or perhaps even destructive!
After learning if beech tree fiber is vegan and sustainable you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you shop.
This post is all about learning if beech tree fiber is vegan and sustainable.
Is Beech Tree Fiber Vegan + Sustainable?
HOME
Durability: pros beech tree fiber is strong, retains its shape, size and strength even after repeated washings
Versatility: pros beech tree fiber made from modal is very soft and smooth, with a moderate to high sheen, drapes well, does not wrinkle, so you don’t have to iron it
Accessibility: beech tree fiber is common
Beech tree fiber is…
- Durable
- Increasing in demand and popularity
- Natural Color: Vibrant Plant Dye Projects for Your Home and Wardrobe
- Create with Cork Fabric: Sew 17 Upscale Projects; Bags, Accessories & Home Decor
- Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
ENVIRONMENT
Fiber source: “natural synthetic”, beech tree fiber base material comes from a natural source, rayon fibers such as modal and “artificial silk”, a variety of rayon, made exclusively from the renewable fiber of beech trees
Biodegradable: yes, beech tree fiber is biodegradable
Destruction: low, beech tree fiber is sustainable, there is no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc.
Beech tree fiber is…
ANIMALS
Kills: none, beech tree fiber production does not require any animals to be killed
Harms: none, beech tree fiber production does not require any animals to be used
Indirectly kills or harms: none, as long as pesticides have not been used, buy organic, as pesticides undoubtably harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Beech tree fiber is…
LABORERS
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always be accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Beech tree fiber…
- May involve worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns
What is beech tree fiber used for?
Beech tree fiber is used to make clothing, such as underwear and pajamas, and household items, like bed sheets and towels.
What are some ethical vegan fashion brands that use beech wood?
CasaGIN is an ethical vegan fashion brand that uses beech wood.
beech tree fiber is durable.
For every 5 garments produced, the equivalent of 3 end up in a landfill or incinerated each year!
One reason for such wastefulness society’s ever growing desire to acquire. Fast fashion (creating low-priced items at high volumes) is problematic for a number of reasons and promotes the attitude that clothing is nearly disposable.
But another component of such a quick turnaround on clothing is because it’s just not lasting long enough. Snags, stains, warping and shrinkage render items unusable and unacceptable for the donation pile. Avoid such problems by buying better quality, more durable, long lasting materials. Timeless wardrobe favorites that last for years and years are more sustainable and reduce the need for replacements.
Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of textiles burns or goes to landfills…
Keep minimalism in mind and buy less, borrow and buy items second hand. Thrift shops offer many inexpensive, unique finds that have already proven to stand the test of time!
beech tree fiber is sustainable.
Animal materials are a natural fiber and biodegradable unless heavily treated with chemicals. However, they are not at all eco-friendly or sustainable due to the overwhelming strain on natural resources; the water needed, food needed and land usage that must happen for such abundant amounts of animals to live.
With the high number of animals unnaturally bred onto the planet in the name of human utilization, specifically ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, deer, camels, etc.), they emit high volumes of carbon emissions and contaminate air, soil and water with their waste (excrement). This is also toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.
Animal agriculture is not good for the environment, human health and of course, the animals themselves. Thus, animal derived, non-vegan materials are not only cruel and inhumane but environmentally unsustainable.
That’s not to say that all vegan materials are sustainable. There are many vegan yet unsustainable fabrics, materials and textiles. Most of us don’t realize that washing one synthetic garment releases about 2,000 plastic microfibers which then enter the ocean and food chain…or that 30% of rayon and viscose used in fashion comes from endangered and ancient forests. So because a fabric is vegan it does not necessarily mean that it is sustainable, eco-friendly and so on.
Natural fibers like cotton are actually really harmful IF they are not organic. How? Cotton seeds are often GMOs that require pesticides, which are extremely toxic! In fact, up to 16% of the world’s pesticides go to non-organic, GMO cotton farming every year. The chemicals degrade soil and pollute water as well as poison cotton pickers.
Wow! …So it’s time to start using sustainable fabrics, materials and textiles.
Read more about ‘What Makes Fabric Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
beech tree fiber is vegan.
Cows, sheep, alpacas, goats, ducks and foxes are animals commonly subject to exploitation for their skins, hair or feathers. In fact, BILLIONS of them die every single year simply in the name of fashion.
Before buying a pair of shoes, a sweater, a purse, check the materials. Common and unfortunately popular animal-derived materials include leather, suede, fur, feathers, mohair and wool -which often come from places like India and China where there can be NO animal welfare laws or enforcement. If the item does come from a more developed area of the world, such as the United States or Europe, that animal was likely a victim of factory farming. In such overcrowded farms they are confined, diseased and must sometimes live their entire lives indoors, never seeing the light of day.
Material from animals may involve slaughtering like leather and fur production, for instance. But in regards to wool or feathers, animals struggle as they are held down and beaten by workers while sheared or as feathers are ripped from their skin. This leaves them bloody and wounded in pain.
Dressing and decorating vegan is easier than ever with this: Vegan Fabrics, Materials and Textiles List
beech tree fiber is a material that may or may not have labor issues.
Did you know that the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? Whether agriculture involves crops or animals, the labor behind each and every product made from cotton, leather, wool, etc. cannot go unrecognized.
Sadly, many labor concerns exist around the world in both developed and developing countries. We must be vigilant to ensure what we buy is not contributing to industries that are unfair to their valuable workers.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, sweatshops and child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence. Unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives simply by being mindful to buy items that are certified fair trade.
Sources:
Sew Guide: Fabric glossary
Textile School: Textile fabric types
What is Beechwood Modal Fabric? – Kate Quinn
10 Sustainable Vegan Fabrics: The Future of the Textile Industry
Wool Is So Yesterday: Why Natural Vegan Fabrics Are Taking Over
Grandview Research: Synthetic Leather Market Worth $40.9 Billion By 2027 | CAGR: 4.4%
