There are some fabrics you might find out shopping or in your wardrobe that have little upside when it comes to closing the fashion loop. Some fabrics are just not designed to have a recyclable purpose.
So, what are fabrics to stay away from?
Cheap PU Leather Jackets
1. Cheap PU Leather Jackets, Why? Because the surface of the fabrics could start to crack or even become sticky after 3-4 years depending on it's storage condition, giving it no reuse or resale value and instead needing to trash it, this kind of garment can not be recycled.
Exotic Leather
2. Exotic leather/skin like python or crocodile, many of these exotic leathers are banned from many major retailers and regions due to the possibility of these skins coming from endangered species. If you really want a product made from exotic leathers-- then you can look for secondhand options!
White cotton shirts
3. White cotton shirts, What?! Well, white cotton tees or shirts can easily become yellowed and dark after a few washes and can get cross-stained from doing your laundry with other colors. You also may get the annoying arm-pit and sweat stains around the collar. So you end up needing to buy new white shirts and tees much more frequently, unless you treat your whites with extra care. Remember-- in resale, you don’t want to buy other people's yellowed white shirts, so the only choice is down cycling the garment into rags and other household uses.
Non-certified or unknown source fabrics
4. Non-certified or unknown source fabrics, certified materials are now vastly available, so much so that even mass-market brands are carrying items with certified materials. These materials improve these brand's overall sustainability efforts. Be sure to support these materials and make sure you are getting them from a trusted brand or retailer.
Multi-composition fabrics
5. Multi-composition fabrics, when it comes to fabrics compositions I’m talking about the ones that has 3 or more other materials. Each being no bigger than a 60% makeup of the garment, these fabrics usually end up being down-cycled unless the styles are great.
You may be thinking-- why am I not putting fabrics like synthetic polyester or nylon blend on the list? The reason is because these materials are now becoming valuable in their end-of-life for recycling purposes. While the micro-plastic issue is a concern, the value of these fabrics in recycling is now substantial. We must recognize that all fabric fibers shed when you wash them, but if you wash them less then the micro-plastic release can be lessened.