New report: The rise of Polyester hurts environment and deprives cotton farmers of opportunities
02 April 2026
UNFATHOMABLE GROWTH, MISINFORMATION AND THE URGENT NEED TO DIVEST FROM SYNTHETICS
These are our headline learnings from our latest report into the fashion industry, Cotton vs. Polyester. Authored by our Fashion Lead, Tamar Hoek, this report dives into the existential challenge for cotton farmers represented by the accelerating growth of the use of synthetics in fashion.
Polyester, a fossil fuel derived fibre, is an inherently unsustainable material. Nevertheless the relevant durability and cost of polyester has seen it on course to supplant cotton as fashion’s most used fibre.
We cannot let this happen. As this report shows, despite the challenges of producing cotton humanely and in an ecologically sound way, it remains our best hope for a sustainable fashion industry. The rise of polyester means that farmers are not being supported and will never have the resources necessary to unlock the sustainable potential of cotton.
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