3 ways Linen is more sustainable than Cotton

Linen production needs far less water used to grow compared to Cotton

The flax plant (from which the linen fabric is made) grows in wetter parts of the world and can rely solely on rainwater. Cotton however, is grown in drought-prone areas that then need intensive irrigation. Irrigating soil has a long list of harmful effects such as soil erosion and salinity which results in the quality of soil deteriorating over time.

Over it’s lifetime, a linen shirt uses 4x less water compared to a cotton shirt! Buying a linen shirt instead of cotton will save thirteen 1.5 litre bottles of water.

Linen production uses none to little chemical pesticides

Flax is not as susceptible to pests and disease as cotton is.As a result, few, if any, chemical pesticides and fertilizers are required in the cultivation of flax. In fact, often flax comes close to the organic standard without trying. It requires significantly less fertilizers and pesticides than cotton.

Cultivation of cotton uses 7 percent of all chemicals used for agriculture in the U.S.

Linen production results in less waste

Every part of the flax plant is used on other products resulting in no waste!

Flaxseeds are edible and a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Flaxseeds are also crushed to produce an edible oil known as flaxseed oil that is also used in the production of paints and varnishes.

Linseed meal, the byproduct of producing linseed oil from flax seeds, is used as livestock fodder. It is a protein-rich feed for ruminants, rabbits, and fish.

And of course the flax stalks are used to produce linen fibres which are woven into the beloved fabric Linen!