11 Exciting Natural Materials For Non-Polluting Products
From sustainably sourced and grown natural materials to reused single-use, these materials replace synthetic ones that are polluting the planet - like fossil fuel derived plastic - and being produced in a ungreen, unethical way.
Using natural materials means the end product will naturally biodegrade at the end of its life, instead of persisting as pollution on our planet forever. These materials can replace polluting unsustainable plastic in many applications. We share some great examples below!
There is especially space for their use in fashion, an industry in which plastic wasn’t widely used until the 1980s, but which quickly became reliant on this environmentally damaging fossil fuel product. We need to transition back to renewable, compostable natural materials!
There is a lot of greenwashing in this area and a lot of the time plastic is sill used in the mix, so it is important to check all the ingredients of the product and what percentage is actually a natural sustainable material.
It is also important that these materials are sustainably sourced and ethically produced to protect both people and the planet.
As always, consume less and only when necessary, and when you do, if your circumstances allow, choose better – like these materials – and local.
1. Eco-Friendly Eucalyptus Tree Fabric
Fabric is being made from eucalyptus wood pulp! Through a closed loop production process, cellulosic fibres can be created from wood pulp like eucalyptus to make a yarn and fabric called TENCEL™ Lyocell to produce fashion and home products. These fibres can be produced with high resource efficiency and low environmental impact and most TENCEL™ fibres have been certified as biodegradable and compostable under industrial, home, soil, freshwater, and marine conditions.
Eucalyptus pulp fibre is most famously used for Allbirds shoes. The Tree fibre Allbirds uses is mainly sourced from wood grown in South Africa. It is Forest Stewardship Council certified, which means its source materials meet strict standards to protect forests, and the animals and people who depend on them. As its cultivation relies on natural rainfall, there's no need for artificial irrigation or fertilisers. When compared to the more commonly used material, cotton, it uses 95% less water and cuts the company’s carbon footprint in half.
Allbirds has expanded its use of this eco-friendly fibre into its clothing apparel, including a jumper, cardigan, and puffer jacket, as well as socks and underwear, and has started to use a new naturally derived fibre made from discarded shells from marine life! (Read more on this in its own section below)
To ensure all of its clothing is biodegradable, Form by T (AU) uses TENCEL among other natural fabrics, as does Lois Hazel, and Indigo Luna (AU) uses it in its Lulu Eucalyptus G-String and Lulu Eucalyptus Bra, which are plant dyed with Secang bark or mango and indigo leaves and biodegradable at end of life, while REMUSE (AU) uses it in its Eucalypto dresses, which are dyed with logwood chips and turmeric.
Loulou Lollipop’s (CA) baby and kids clothing and sleep bags are made from a signature blend of sustainable fabric that is majority TENCEL Lyocell. Some of WUKA’s range of period pants are made from responsibly sourced and sustainable TENCEL™️ fabric (UK), and Tentree (US) uses it, along with recycled polyester and organic cotton in its TreeBlend.
2. Home Compostable Packaging Made From Mushrooms
Mushroom packaging, which is is primarily made of fungus roots (mycelia) and residues from farming, is a 100% biodegradable and renewable material that has enormous potential for replacing plastic packaging products like Styrofoam. It can be designed to fit and enclose many different products. It is thermally insulating, water-resistant, and stronger than polystyrene foam and polyurethane products.
According to Sustainability Guide, it is a gold-certified cradle to cradle product as agricultural waste becomes raw material in mushroom packaging, which in turn is broken down into the soil and can contribute to new agricultural products. Importantly, it is home compostable and is sustainable to grow as there is no need for light, water or chemical additives.
Mycelium foam can also be used in other products such as footwear, leather alternatives, and lampshades.
Companies like Ecovative in the US, Magical Mushroom Company in the UK, Grown Bio in the Netherlands, and BioFab in New Zealand are cultivating mushroom packaging in their respective countries.
3. Cruelty & Plastic Free Pineapple, Cactus, Apple & Leaf Leather
A lot of vegan leather is just plastic (polyurethane leather is artificially-made, petroleum-based, and completely synthetic) and should be avoided, but you do get vegan leather that is a better option and this vegan leather is made from various fruits and plants parts, some of which are saved from being wasted.
However, most of these are only partially natural, combining plant fibres with other synthetic materials, therefore the material isn't the most sustainable option, but it is cruelty-free and is generally more ethical and environmentally friendly than conventional leather and fully plastic fake leather.
Pinatex pineapple leather is an artificial or semi-synthetic leather made from pineapple leaves, which are a waste byproduct from pineapple harvesting, polylactic acid (PLA), and petroleum-based resin. Apple peel leather is made by drying and grinding them into a fine powder, to which a non-toxic pigment and polyurethane are added to form a leather-like fabric.
Cactus leather is made from prickly pear cactus leaves, from which proteins and fibres are extracted to make an organic bio resin that coats a carrier. Cacti fields are a large carbon sink and require minimal water. Leaf leather is made from dried leaves that are covered in a film or resin that usually contains polypropylene (plastic) to make it waterproof and durable.
Used for shoes, bags, wallets, clothes, accessories, and upholstery, like these leaf leather journals, wallets and bags (UK), cactus leather shoes (Europe), and pineapple leaves bags and jewellery (AU), plant-based leather is a greener and animal-friendlier alternative to leather and petroleum-based materials, but it ISN’T 100% biodegradable.
4. Using Carbon-Sucking Seaweed to Make Plastic
Seaweed is an excellent option for a biodegradable plastic as it is fast growing and abundant, does not take up land space for producing food, does not need fertiliser or chemicals to grow, sequesters carbon, and does not compete with food crops unlike other bioplastic materials such as corn, sugarcane, vegetable oil and starch, as well as being cheap and easy to harvest and extract.
Notpla’s seaweed packaging is biodegradable and edible, and it can be composted at home in four to six weeks. So far, it has been used for the thin film that coats cardboard takeaway boxes and for condiment sachets. It can also be used to hold liquids such as sports drinks, water, toothpaste, coffee, and suncream.
Evoware produces Ello Jello edible cups made from seaweed and seaweed packaging sheets that are edible and dissolve in warm water. Loliware straws made from seaweed are 100% bio-based and home compostable.
Meanwhile, Amam has developed a product called Agar Plasticity using agar from two kinds of red algae. This agar is extracted by boiling the algae and its use to create various packaging products is being explored.
5. The Many Uses of Regenerative Hemp
Hemp can clothe, house, cleanse and feed you! And entertain your dog! From underwear to skincare, food, concrete and bricks, hemp has an incredible number of uses. It needs very little water and very little land to grow, doesn't need harsh chemical herbicides, reduces pests, and returns nutrients to the soil, making it a highly sustainable, low impact crop.
For these reasons and due to the fact that it is naturally anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic and a long-lasting fabric, hemp is a great fabric option for clothing, undergarments, and bed linen.
Pioneers of the hemp underwear industry, WAMA underwear (US) was born from extensive research into hemp textiles and after a rigorous and super long design process, which resulted in its large range of super soft and breathable men’s and women’s underwear that includes boxers, briefs, boy shorts, bikinis, bralettes, trunks, and thongs. Read more about WAMA underwear’s anti-bacterial properties, including scientific lab results, here.
WAMA has a strict Supplier Code of Conduct, partners with factories that improve their employees lives with fair wages and offer quality working environments, and is a Green America Certified Business.
Hemp Clothing Australia’s mission is to make ethical clothing and sustainable fashion the mainstream, not the alternative. It has a large range of hemp clothing. Afends is an Australian brand that also makes undergarments from hemp, as well as other ethical slow fashion items, while Hemp Gallery Natural Bed Linen uses it to make soft, luxurious and environmentally friendly linens.
The Etiko Hemp Sneaker has a 100% certified organic hemp canvas upper, as well as a 100% certified FSC natural rubber latex sole and 100% certified organic cotton laces and insole. While Rackle Shoes’ (US) natural hemp shoes, with hemp fabric and biodegradable foam raised ribbed arches, are designed to break down 30-50 times faster than those with ordinary soles.
You can get plastic-free hemp pet collars and leads (US here), as well as hemp rope dog toys (US) and hemp canvas dog and cat toys (US).
Or secure some of this sustainable thread for yourself for your own craft projects. Hemptique (US) has a large range of hemp cords. You can use this soft and durable hemp thread for macrame, crochet, or knitting to make your own 100% hemp fibre anything.
As a natural building material, hemp can be used to make concrete and bricks. Hempcrete is made by combining water, hemp fibre and a lime-based binder. It is both fire resistant and pest resistant. It also has the capacity to sequester CO2 into the building fabric. This hempcrete can be used to make hemp blocks for a sustainable alternative to a traditional brick and concrete block home.
Hemp seed oil is used in skincare products to nourish the skin. It is a natural moisturiser full of Omega 3 and 6s that work to nourish skin, increase circulation, can minimise fine lines and wrinkles, offers levels of Vitamin A, C, and E and is an antioxidant, according to Hemp Collective. It adds that it regenerates, hydrates and energises the Skin’s Protective Layer and won’t remove your bodies natural oils, and does not block pores or trigger breakouts.
It is used in soap bars and shampoo bars, like those from Hemp Collective (AU), Friendly Soap (UK) and The Soap Works (CA); face cream (UK); beard oil (AU); hemp jelly balm (AU); Cannabella renewal serum (AU); face masks and face oil (AU). And it can be bought pure (AU here) to use in various ways in DIY beauty recipes for body and hair care.
Hemp fibres make great exfoliating wash cloths, scrubbies and scrubbers, and they are used to create reusable, biodegradable face wipes and make-up face pads (AU), and various other facial cleansing cloths, rounds and wipes (US here / UK here / CA here), as well as for soap savers (UK).
And then there are all the food products that contain hemp, which is a complete protein containing all 10 essential amino acids plus 14 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants (AU hemp food products / UK here / CA here), including hemp mylk base (AU), which provides an easy way to get your plant-based milk plastic free.
6. Sustainable Rubber Tree Sap Latex
Sap tapped from rubber trees in the Amazon is used to make natural rubber (latex) that is used as an ethical and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic, petroleum-based latex. It is most famously used in the shoe soles of VEJA sneakers.
Natural latex by itself poses no harm to the environment and is completely biodegradable, however a lot of natural latex products contain additives like artificial dyes, plastics, and chemicals, which means they are not biodegradable, for example balloons, condoms, rubber bands, gloves, tyres, and shoe soles made from natural rubber are not biodegradable because of artificial additives. VEJA sneakers, for instance, are 20 to 30% natural rubber.
Even when actually biodegradable and compostable, natural rubber can be very slow to both biodegrade and compost. It can be recycled and this is a better option in order to keep it being reused before composting it.
The extraction of tree sap is sustainable and does no harm to the Amazon’s rubber trees when done according to indigenous practices, and it is hoped that this forest-friendly livelihood could reduce the powerful economic incentives driving deforestation in the region by bolstering its emerging bioeconomy (industries that encourage forests to be kept standing).
The goal is to enhance the economic value of the forest in order to protect it and to redistribute wealth. VEJA buys Amazonian rubber at twice the market price directly from cooperatives formed by families of rubber tappers.
Read more about rubber tapping in the Amazon here.
All components of Flipside’s slides (AU) are made of natural rubber sustainably tapped from rubber trees instead of the usual materials used to make flip-flops: synthetic rubber and polyurethane foam. They can be sent back to Biome or Flipslide for recycling.
The Etiko Hemp Sneaker has a 100% certified FSC natural rubber latex sole, as well as a 100% certified organic hemp canvas upper and 100% certified organic cotton laces and insole.
Baxter Wood’s Hevea rubber Chelsea boots (US) are made from ethically sourced FSC certified hevea tree rubber and have a 95% chemical free cotton and 5% elastane lining. The company has as a rainboot recycling program for when boots can no longer be worn or donated.
Hevea’s natural rubber menstrual cups are made from super soft natural rubber tapped from Hevea rubber trees and are biodegradable at their end of life. The brand also makes 100% natural rubber baby bottle teats, soothers, and teethers (AU here / US here). Similarly, Natursutten’s (CA) pacifiers, teethers, and bottle nipples are also made from pure natural rubber from the tree Hevea brasiliensis.
Natural rubber can be used in many other household products, including beauty products, such as blender sponges (UK), dog toys (US here / UK here), and cleaning products, such as If You Care FSC certified natural rubber household gloves (AU here / UK here), which can replace plastic gloves used for purposes such as dishwashing, cleaning and gardening.
Natural rubber is also used in plastic-free, biodegradable hair ties and scrunchies (AU here / US here / UK here).
7. Reusing Temple Flowers to Make an Eco Styrofoam Alternative
A polystyrene replacement made from reused temple flowers! Florafoam is 100% biodegradable and home compostable. It is made from temple waste – leftover flowers – that would otherwise end up in the Ganges River. Customisable to any shape, size, and strength, it is fire resistant and is a cheaper alternative than toxic, non-recyclable styrofoam.
Wanting to find a way to manage temple waste in India, flowercycled incense was firstly conceived and created by Phool and then they started experimenting with it to make biodegradable packaging, resulting in Florafoam. An inspiring story of seeing waste and finding a way to reuse it!
8. All-Natural Creations Crafted From Seed Pods
Simple seed pods, which are naturally biodegradable, can provide so much! Did you know loofah sponges and back scratchers are just dried seed pods? You can grow your own at home! That’s if you live in the right climate. Otherwise, you can find one here (AU), here (US/CAN), or here (UK). They are the seed pod of the loofah or luffa plant, which is a type of squash, and are an excellent option for a home compostable scrubber for your pots and pans and skin to replace plastic sponges and scourers.
Banksia seed pods make amazing natural air fresheners! Banksia Aroma Pods (AU) are hand-crafted from this iconic and uniquely Australian seed pod and will fragrance a room for weeks when filled with a few drops of essential oils. Banksia seed pods can also be carved into tealight votives and coasters.
Seeds can replace plastic exfoliating microbeads in soaps and scrubs like in wattle seed soap (AU), poppy seed soap (CA) and this exfoliating body bar with apricot seeds (UK), and in Bush Medijina’s (AU) Merrika clay and ochre scrub. UpCircle Cleansing Face Balm with Apricot (UK) is made with the finely-ground powder of discarded apricot stones, a natural by-product of the apricot oil industry that is rich in antioxidant Vitamin E, while its Natural Body Cream with Date Seeds contains an anti-inflammatory extract from leftover date seeds, a by-product of date farming.
Coconut bowls (AU here / UK here) are another example of a seed pod (did you know a coconut is a seed, a fruit, and a nut all in one!) being used to make something. Made from reclaimed shells after being discarded as waste from the coconut oil industry, which would otherwise be burned releasing emissions into the atmosphere, these handcrafted bowls are 100% natural.
Beautiful jewellery can also be made from seed pods.
9. Biopolymer Discovery in Discarded Snow Crab Shells
Pure chitosan fibre harvested from discarded shells from marine life, specifically discarded snow crab shells, is used in Allbirds’s latest material innovation, XO™. It is a natural odour fighter, allowing clothes to stay fresh longer without relying on extractive materials like zinc or silver, and is being used in the company’s TrinoXO™ Tee.
Chitosan is a natural biopolymer that is abundantly available in nature (it is the second-most abundant biopolymer on Earth!) and cheap to produce.
It has good biocompatibility, bio-absorbability, wound-healing, haemostatic, anti-infection, anti-bacterial, non-toxicity and adsorption properties. These unique material properties make chitosan fibre useful for medical purposes, for instance it has been found that wound dressings containing chitosan can increase the rate of healing by 75%.
10. Biodegradable Products Made From Cork
Sustainably harvested from the bark of cork oak trees without needing to cut down the trees (and causing the trees to absorb more CO2!), this material is naturally water resistant and durable, as well as being lightweight.
It can be used as 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging, for example like with Biork’s (AU) plastic-free potassium crystal deodorant stick, as well as in the creation of plastic-free home goods like this plastic-free cork and glass teapot and this cork and ceramic food bowl that is keep food at just the right temperature, so it stays fresh longer (both US).
It is also often used as a picturesque plastic-free lid option for glass jars and containers like used by plastic free bathroom brand, Well Kept (US).
It is important to check if and how much bonding agent is used in the cork, as this will affect its biodegradability.
KeepCup (AU) uses cork as a sustainably sourced thermal band on some of its glass reusable coffee cups. Its cork band is upcycled from the waste by-product of wine cork production in Portugal, and the cork is bound using a vegan food grade polyurethane – just enough to hold it together according to the company. This cork band can be buried or biodegraded in household compost at end of life.
Cork makes for good looking and feeling yoga mats, massage rollers, yoga blocks and massage balls (US here / CA here).
Cork rollers, balls, and blocks by Halfmoon (CA here) are 100% cork. Scoria (US here) makes plain and patterned yoga mats, massage balls and blocks from naturally anti-microbial cork backed by natural tree rubber unlike other yoga mats, which are generally backed with synthetic TPE/PVC. Although the cork is biodegradable, Scoria products are still tightly bound with water-based eco-adhesives at a high temperature to give strength and stability, and therefore wouldn't be suitable to break down in a home compost.
In terms of slow ethical fashion, By The Sea Collection use cork to create gorgeous vegan bags and accessories. Its cork leather is made with recycled cork pieces. Compressed off-cut pieces of cork are sliced into thin sheets and then fixed and heat-pressed onto natural fabric. The resulting fabric is as durable as leather, light-weight, soft to touch, flexible, water resistant, and stain resistant. Discarded ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) material (a form of plastic) is used for the colour embellishments.
Another example is this lightweight, waterproof cork backpack (US) made from thinly shaved cork adhered to cotton fabric that is handmade in a Massachusetts home studio. And, The Cork Concierge (Europe) has a large range of shoes and bags made from cork.
Find locally made cork products and discover the many uses of and ways to reuse cork on Etsy (worldwide).
11. Reusable Materials Reinvented & Upcycled Into Something New
Last, but not least, reusing anything to make something else saves it from going to landfill. Granted, this is sometimes only for a short time, so it is always better to use what you have, refuse and reduce first and foremost, but it is still better to reuse than to use new resources to make something in most cases.
The possibilities of reusing materials are endless and only limited by imagination. You can get mats made from flip flops (US), upcycled cherry pits from a cherry farm are used to make these therapeutic heat pillows (US), there’s this skateboard stool from shattered skateboards (US) and Chopvalue (US) takes thousands of recycled bamboo chopsticks and turns them into shelves, tablet stands, and cutting boards!
You can get many things made from milk cartons, including milk carton wallets (worldwide), while SUCSEED makes repurposed notebooks (UK) using reclaimed flower waste, either cherry husk, lavender flower, kiwi fruit, or coffee beans. mixed with recycled paper.
Old bike inner tubes can be used to make innovative and functional wallets, bags and accessories, like those by Felvarrom (AU), and these cuff arm bracelets are made from discarded aluminum and silver beer and tea cans (US).
Lemonaid upcycling oil pourer and soap dispenser pump enable you to upcycle your empty Lemonaid and ChariTea bottles into oil pourers and soap dispensers.
And some of our favourite repurposed fabric items are Beekeeper Parade’s (AU) bags, Sarah Sew Love’s (NZ) bum bags from upcycled fabric and surf ponchos made from repurposed towels (NZ), and Chloe Haywood London’s upcycled cashmere wool wrist warmer mitts (UK).
Browse Australian upcycled products here and if you’re in the US, you’ll find loads of upcycled items here or here. Worldwide, you can find all sorts of locally made weird and wonderful repurposed things on Etsy.
The point is – there are other and better, more eco-friendly options as a material choice for almost anything! These 11 are just a few of many (for example, agood company makes sustainable stone paper notebooks from stone in a dry process that uses no chemicals or water).
All it takes is a little imagination, a realisation that this thing that naturally decomposes could be used to make this thing, and looking a little bit closer and a little bit harder for products that are produced in a way that cares for people and the planet and choosing to purchase these products instead if they are needed and you’re able to make that choice.
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