Happy Plastic Free July fellow geeks and crafters!
I hope your week has started off well - hopefully those of you roasting have found a cool bevvie, and those of you lucky enough to feel a bit of proper cold (no Sydney, you do not count) I hope you have been able to curl up with a hot bevvie and your craft of choice. (Everyone please applaud the amazing Lisa in finishing her first ever lace project! May your ears be ever warm and toasty.)
So, the weekend saw the start of Plastic Free July, an international movement coordinated by the Plastic Free July Foundation to bring awareness about the damages plastic, and particularly single-use plastics, are having on our world and to challenge everyone to make changes - however small they may seem - to address the plastic crisis. This year the focus is on Refusing plastics in day to day behaviours.
For those who follow me on twitter (what, you don't? you're missing out! We are having a fibery blast over there) you know that our household has been working on moving towards a zero/low waste since mid-2016. We’ve actively participated in Plastic Free July since then, but we usually focus on activities and changes we can make as a family around things like shopping and vacationing.
This year I aim to focus on what this approach looks like with a yarn and fibre habit. I heard that gasp - don’t stress. This will be fun. I promise. We're going to learn stuff and go shopping for yarn related things. See, not so bad sounding, eh? One of the key things to keep in mind when working to remove plastics/go zero waste/etc, is that it should be easy and intuitive, else it won’t be a change you can keep up with!
Let’s start with the obvious - a shopping bag.
A reusable shopping bag is one of the easiest swaps you can make for Plastic Free July, yarn shopping is no exception. I am partial to my Post-Apocalyptic Life Skill tote, it’s heavy duty, washable, and well made, but there are many options out there. Get yourself a bag and tuck it into your everyday bag so it’s always available when that last-minute run to the yarn shop happens.
Onto something with a bit more teeth (pun totally intended) - yarn.
Like everything, it seems, plastic has been creeping into the manufacturing of yarn more so than you might realise straight off. (Ugh, I know. First the tea bags now the yarn, IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE?!?) This means that some yarns are contributing to the microplastics issues in our tap and drinking water. (For more on this, go here, it’s a good if not sad read. TldR: It’s BAD BAD BAD. Plastic microfibers flake off when garments are worn, then wash away in the laundry water, can’t be removed during [purification, and thus end up in our water supply, putting them into our bodies and into the bodies of the things we eat.)
First off, easy peasy change to make: dump that 100% synthetic yarn.
Let’s be honest, most acrylic yarns don’t have the nicest hand feel, so no loss there. Yes it might have a bright colour, and perhaps there are a few acrylics that have been processed to feel softer, but remember that microplastics in the water problem? To make plastic softer you have to break down the strands into smaller and smaller pieces so they feel more pliable (your skin reads this as ‘soft’.) Also, acrylic doesn’t breathe and are hydrophobic, meaning when you wear them and sweat that sweat just sits there... Against your skin. This means you are effectively poaching yourself in your own juices, like a chicken breast…
Animal fibres, such as wool and cashmere, are excellent at regulating body temperature and are hygroscopic. This is why yarns made of these fibers are known for their ability to stay cool in summer/warm in winter and they can absorb up to 20% of their weight in water, without losing their ability to regulate temperature. Animal fibres also have a natural oil coating on them which is antimicrobial, helping to prevent mold and odour from bacterial buildup. Thus - LESS WASHING NEEDED! (If you have a kid, you know the struggle is real here.) They are also UV reflectant, which is a definite plus in places like Australia.
Plant-based fibres like cotton, bamboo, linen, are also UV reflectant and are also hydrophillic (they like water). Most plant-based fibres are also are able to help regulate body temperature, but not in such extreme colds temperature as animal fibres. Plant-based fibres have the added bonus of not felting and not being an animal by-product, for those of us who have these concerns.
***Check twice on any yarn that is derived from a plant. Some yarns will say ‘plant-based’ on the front of the label but fess up to being made of rayon. Viscose rayon is a semi-synthetic fibre made from plant pulp, such as wood, but the process changes the material into a non-biodegrableable polymer (plastic). Plant and animal based yarns you can compost (yay!), plastic/polymer based yarns you can't (boo!).
Basically, if you're thinking of buying fibre this month challenge yourself to find something that is plastic free! I've listed a few options for finding yarn, particularly if you're worried about your budget. And don't forget your schmancy yarn tote rather than a plastic bag!
I encourage all of the Fibre Fiends reading this blog to join in on the Plastic Free July challenge and let me know what you're doing on the fibre side of things to kick the plastic habit! If you are up for it include the hashtags #choosetoreuse #plasticfreejuly #plasticfreeyarn See you tomorrow!
Here are a few suggestions to get you started on your plastic-free fibre experience! More to come as the month goes on.
- https://ecoyarns.com.au/ - Great for a variety of biodegrableable yarns and fibres, both plant and animal based, dyed and undyed. Prices vary from inexpensive ($3/5AUD) to a bit pricey ($32AUD). Ships worldwide.
- Skein Sisters - Great range of yarns and bases and very knowledgeable staff. Pricing ranges from budget friendly to more expensive stock, but always good quality. Store uses eco-friendly packaging for shoppers and shipping.
- Knit Picks Lindy Chain - Fingering, great colours, cotton/linen blend with a fun chained ply construction.
- Knit Picks Billow - Aran to bulky weighted yarn, depends on the result you're looking for. Very very soft and has been loved by all the babies I have used it for.
- Zauberball Cotton - fingering 100% cotton, great for socks, shawls, hats, etc. Has the fabulous colourways Zauberball is known for.
If you want to go a little further and try going plastic free in other parts of your life for extra karma
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It takes a lot of caffeine and yarn to make this happen! ;)
This is a wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the reminder that rayon is a synthetic polymer that doesn't decompose easily. Ugh.
Also, if I may add -- Superwash Yarns are made in one of two ways. Neither are good, but one method coats the yarn is what is basically, you guessed it, a form of plastic. :( (Sometimes, depending on the exact method, it's a silicon, if memory serves, but still. :( )
You are so right! Superwash wool is BAD BAD BAD in the context of plastics. It's also practically everywhere! :o/
DeleteThe wool interior doesn't go anywhere, but the polymer resin that coats the strands is pretty much the same thing as wrapping everything in saran wrap. The interior of the wool fibre is still wool, but air and water can't get to it because of the plastic coating. Thus, superwash wool is less likely to biodegrade and close the loop. If it's had its scales washed off in an acid bath, we pollute the water with chemicals known to be toxic to humans. Blech.
I cover this process more on the following post, if you're interested. But you are definitely right in categorising superwash wool with the synthetic yarn post since it behave, from a waste management standpoint, the same way. :o)