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31 Aug

Material Guide: How Sustainable is Nylon?

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Nylon—you’ve probably seen it on the labels of some of your stretchier clothing items like tights or stockings. But what is it, and where does it come from? And does it have an impact on the planet or its inhabitants? We ask: how sustainable is nylon?

A brief history of nylon

Apart from underwear and hosiery, nylon can also be found in the bristles of our toothbrushes, umbrellas, knits, swimwear, and activewear. But for something most of us interact with on a daily basis, our understanding of how the fabric is made and its impact on the planet probably isn’t up to scratch.

Nylon was the first fabric made entirely in a laboratory, and its invention represents the dawn of the age of synthetics. Nylon became widely available to the general public around the time of World War II. Nylon had two main roles to play in wartime. Firstly—thanks to its strength and durability—nylon was used extensively for military products, including parachutes, tents, ropes, and tyres. Secondly, nylon replaced everything that was once made from silk—such as silk stockings—as silk imports from Asia experienced significant shortages and price fluctuations.

What is nylon?

Essentially, nylon is a type of plastic derived from crude oil. This plastic is then put through an intensive chemical process, resulting in the strong, stretchy fibres that make it so useful as a fabric.

More specifically, nylons are a family of materials called polyamides, made from reacting carbon-based chemicals found in coal and petroleum in a high-pressure, heated environment. This chemical reaction, known as condensation polymerization, forms a large polymer—in the form of a sheet of nylon. To make nylon fabric for apparel, this nylon sheet is then broken into chips, melted, and drawn through a mechanical spinneret to produce individual fibres that are woven into fabric.

Nylon’s impact on the planet

Different kinds of nylon have different properties, but the common threads between each are strength, durability, and ability to be moulded into shape. The flip side is that no form of nylon is biodegradable; so once you no longer have a need for your torn stockings or old toothbrush, it sits in a landfill for hundreds of years.

Nylon is in part derived from coal and petroleum. In addition to supporting some of the world’s dirtiest industries, the manufacture of nylon has several other direct environmental impacts.

  • Greenhouse gases: producing nylon creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
  • Water: manufacturing nylon is a very thirsty process; large amounts of water are used for cooling the fibres, which can be a source of environmental contamination and pollution.
  • Energy: manufacturing nylon is a very energy-hungry process, which contributes to environmental degradation and global warming.

But, there’s good news

Remember when we said that nylon is a plastic? Well, plastic can be recycled, right? There are several brands and accreditations that can help consumers find more sustainable nylon products. After all, just because you want to save the planet, doesn’t mean you want your stockings all baggy.

Swedish Stockings, for example, produces beautiful pantyhose from recycled yarn. Their factories also use lower-impact dyes, post-dyeing water treatment, and solar power for much of the energy needed in the manufacturing process.

Swedish Stockings

Rated: Good
Someone lay down on their side dressed in white basic top, sheer stockings by Swedish Stockings.

Swedish Stockings creates high quality, responsibly-made black and patterned stockings, knee highs, tights, socks, and pantyhose. The brand also offers a recycling program to help clean up the hosiery industry—if you send in three or more pairs of synthetic pantyhose from any brand, you will receive a 10% discount code to use next time you purchase Swedish Stockings.

Find the perfect pair in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Swedish Stockings.

Shop Swedish Stockings @ Urbankissed.

ECONYL® has developed a lower-impact nylon made from recycled plastics in a closed loop system, drastically reducing waste and emissions. It has been embraced by brands such as Stella McCartney, Finisterre, Outerknown, allSisters and many more:

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good

A member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Stella McCartney has set some excellent environmental standards across the luxury fashion industry. Stella uses some lower-impact materials, including recycled polyester and organic cotton, and has a strategy in place to reduce waste across its entire supply chain. It has also adopted the ETI Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition.

Find most items in sizes 34-52.

See the rating.

Shop Stella McCartney @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

Outerknown

Rated: Good

Founded by surf champion Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a more responsible brand that aims to blend style and function with the protection of natural resources. The brand is Bluesign certified and has partnered with the Fair Labour Association.

Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Outerknown.

Shop Outerknown @ Wearwell.

Elle Evans

Rated: Good

Founded in 2013 in Australia, Elle Evans Swimwear creates beautiful, lower-impact swimwear and activewear for people who care about fashion and the future. The brand uses post-consumer waste fabrics and traces all of its supply chain.

The range is stocked in sizes 2XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Elle Evans.

allSisters

Rated: Good

Barcelona based allSisters is a sexy, more sustainable swimwear brand that cares about the earth. The brand uses the highest quality recycled fabrics to create high-end swimsuits and raises money for biodiversity protection non-profit Surfers Against Sewage, tackling plastic pollution. Rock these thoughtful, innovative beachwear designs with pride and prepare to ride the wave of compliments headed your way.

See the rating.

Shop allSisters.

Mara Hoffman

Rated: Good

With a focus on mindful and conscious practices, Mara Hoffman uses lower-impact materials including GOTS certified cotton, recycled nylon, and recycled polyester, and even has a range of OEKO-TEX® STeP certified products.

Items come in sizes XS-3XL, and the brand also has a gorgeous extended sizes collection, so you can be sure to find a new wardrobe addition no matter the bod you rock.

See the rating.

Shop Mara Hoffman @ Farfetch.

Shop Mara Hoffman Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Mara Hoffman.

Finisterre

Rated: Good
A woman wears a grey winter coat on one side and a green patterned dress on the other.

Born from the needs of hardy British surfers, Finisterre is a pioneering, more sustainable outdoor brand, built to inspire a love of the sea and anchored in exceptional products.

Find most items in Sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Finisterre.

Learn more about lower-impact materials

However, it’s important to keep in mind that even if ECONYL® is making a commendable effort to clean up some of the huge amounts of rubbish in our oceans, and is certainly a better option than traditionally produced synthetic fabrics, there is still the issue of those darned microplastics.

Microfibres, or tiny bits of plastic, are shed by clothing made from synthetic fabrics every single time they are washed (or even worn), including recycled synthetic fabrics, and they make their way to the ocean by the billions. In fact, they are one of the biggest sources of ocean and shoreline pollution, and they are killing marine life at a staggering rate. Luckily, there are great solutions out there that can help us manage microfibres, which we’ve detailed in our guide.

So there you have it. Nylon is certainly not great for the environment, but there are plenty of brands who are working hard to turn that around.

Discover 11 amazing brands that give plastic-based fabrics like nylon a second life

Editor's note

Featured image via Unsplash, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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