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Textiles

Textiles

Textiles sit at the heart of almost every commercial and residential interior — upholstery, wallcoverings, window treatments, carpets and soft furnishings. The category spans an enormous range of sources, from cotton and linen to leather, wool and recycled polyester, each carrying a distinct environmental and social footprint. Specifying responsibly means understanding not just the fibre itself, but how it was grown or extracted, processed, treated and, eventually, disposed of.

Facts

  • Conventional cotton is water- and pesticide-intensive; organic cotton uses around 91% less water, according to the Soil Association.
  • Flame-retardant chemicals applied to upholstery and window treatments can raise material health concerns for occupants and installers.
  • Forced and child labour has been documented in cotton and fabric production in several countries, including China (Xinjiang), India, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, per the U.S. Department of State.
  • Chrome 6 tanning, used in most leather production, can oxidise into carcinogenic hexavalent chromium if not properly managed, and roughly 0.5–0.6% of people have a chromium VI allergy.
  • Livestock farming for leather and wool carries animal welfare concerns, a high water and carbon footprint, and associated deforestation contributes to biodiversity loss. 
     

Key Points

Consider the key points in the following areas:

Plant Fibres

Broad plant sources 

Cotton, hemp, jute, bulrush, flax (linen), bamboo, calotropis

Certifications 

Look for third party verification- GOTS or Soil Association certification for pesticide-free, GM-free cotton with social and chemical safeguards.

Water footprint 

High water use for the growing and production of some fabrics such as non-organic cotton.

Pesticide use 

Pesticides are fossil fuel derived, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and impact biodiversity.

Toxic chemical use

Consider the use of bleaches, dyes, inks and pigments used. Toxic flame-retardant chemicals are often applied to materials for furnishings.

Forced labour and forced child labour  

Has been reported in cotton production. 

Better Cotton Initiative 

Indicates improved farming practices and livelihoods, though it is not a full organic standard.

Other lower-impact alternatives

Hemp and flax are lower-impact alternatives, needing less water and fewer chemical inputs.

Organic sources

Use significantly lower water and pesticide use; typically better working conditions and chemical safety under certification schemes such as GOTS.  Sometimes it is a higher cost as lower yields can mean more land use per unit of fibre; organic status alone doesn't guarantee low-impact dyeing, finishing or fair labour further down the supply chain.

Animal Products

Animal based fibres

Wool can be from sheep, but also alpacas, llamas, cashmere goats, and Angora rabbits. Seek Responsible Wool Standard certification for verified animal welfare and traceability.

For leather 

Ask which chrome tanning process is used, and whether vegetable-tanned or chrome-free alternatives are available. Avoid Chrome 6 see CHEMICALS section. Consider leather alternatives made from food waste (fruit, vegetables, seafood shells, coffee grounds), mycellium, cactus or cork while avoiding petrochemical-heavy substitutes that simply shift the problem to those around use of fossil fuels.

Animal hair 

Horsehair, goat and yak is still used in traditional upholstery, and felts.

Paint brushes 

Badger and hogs hair can still be found in paint brushes. Wool is still used for paint rollers.  Check it isn't mislabelled as synthetic. 

Emissions 

Animal fibres and skins are by- or co- products of the meat industry in most cases, so their carbon and land footprint is tied to animal agriculture more broadly, including feed production and emissions.

Processing

of ‘natural’ animal products still requires chemical processing - washing, sterilising and sometimes bleaching, which can release effluent containing detergents and disinfectants into waterways if not properly treated.

Down and feathers

Down and feathers, typically goose or duck, are used in cushion and upholstery fillings. These are often perceived to be harmless by product, but can be found to involve animal cruelty and rough handling. Dust and allergens from feather processing can affect worker respiratory health; ask whether facilities meet recognised occupational safety standards. Could be problematic for allergy sufferers using the products. Cruelty-free alternatives: kapok, organic cotton, hemp fibre, lyocell. bullrushes, bamboo fibre, buckwheat hulls, algae base foam. Recycled PET fill is widely available but carries the same microfibre-shedding caveat as other synthetics.

Live plucking

Animal welfare concerns include live-plucking of down and live harvesting of angora and cashmere. Seek alternatives - launder and reuse - or use plant fibre alternatives. Use the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) prohibits both and requires traceability back to parent farms. 

Synthetic and recycled fibres

Recycled PET from bottles is common in acoustic panels and cushioning, but sheds microfibres when laundered, contributing to waterway pollution — avoid specifying recycled content in washable fabrics. 

Ask for the percentage of recycled content and whether it's post-consumer or factory waste.

Global Recycled Standard (GRS) verifies recycled content claims for textiles.

Material health 

UK flammability regulations

Often require chemical fire retardants on upholstery. 

  • Ask suppliers: Can this fabric be supplied without added fire retardant?
     
  • If required, which specific chemicals are used, and are they assessed as safe for occupant and installer health?
     
  • Is a natural fire-retardant option, such as Coex, available and suitable for the application?

Chromium VI 

Or Chrome 6 - used in the leather tanning process and pigment manufacturing (and metal finishing) can have allergy effects on a small but significant proportion of the population.  

VOC emissions

Can arise from chemical treatments applied even to natural fibres (fire retardants, pest control, stain resistance) — ask for GreenScreen or OEKO-TEX certification to verify safe chemical use.

Allergies

Feather and down can be problematic to allergy sufferers. 

Discomfort 

Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Neurodivergent individuals may find scratchy textures physically uncomfortable or overwhelming due to sensory sensitivities. Wool can be scratchy for those with psoriasis or rosacea, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, babies and young children. Alternatives: bamboo, cellulose, cotton.

Cutting and handling

Dust from cutting or handling hair-based textiles should be managed with extraction and appropriate respiratory protection on site.

Circularity and End of Use

Untreated natural fibres 

Will compost safely or biodegrade.

Fabrics - even if natural 

but then blended with synthetic binders, latex or chemical finishes are usually then unsuitable for safe composting and are harder to recycle.

End of life

Ask retailers and manufactures what happens to the product at end of life, and whether take-back or recycling schemes exist.

RESOURCES

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