B
Bemberg™
| Company | Asahi Kasei |
| Country | Japan |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Bemberg™ is made from cotton linter which is basically cotton waste that stick out of the cottonseed and are too small to spin. Bemberg™ is biodegradable and compostable if buried in soil. |
| Certificates | RCS-100, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, TUVAUSTRIA Biodegradable MARINE, INNOVHUB-SSI biodegradability tested |
| Website | https://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/ |
| Contact | https://www.asahi-kasei.com/jp/contact_us/contact/ |
Biosteel®
| Company | AMSilk |
| Country | Germany |
| Material type | microbial fermentation |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Biosteel® is made from man-made proteins, has bacteriostatic and hygienic properties, and is thinner and more delicate than mulberry silk. Petroleum-free, completety biodegradable. |
| Certificates | OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, OECD 301B accordance |
| Website | https://www.amsilk.com/ |
| Contact | https://www.amsilk.com/contact/ |
Brewed Protein™
| Company | Spiber Inc. |
| Country | Japan |
| Material type | microbial fermentation |
| Alternative for | wool, silk |
| Description | Brewed Protein are manufactured through fermentation (brewing) of plant-based ingredients. Available on industrial scale. Brewed Protein can be knitted into fabrics that mimic cashmere, silk, and fur. |
| Certificates | ISO2076 compliance |
| Website | https://spiber.inc/en/brewedprotein/ |
| Contact | https://spiber.inc/en/contact/ |
C
CleanBamboo®
| Company | Ettitude |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | CleanBamboo® is a lyocell made from organic bamboo, and uses a food grade organic solvent in the process, unlike all other bamboo fabrics made with toxic viscose/ rayon technology, or cotton grown with pesticides. |
| Certificates | Climate Neutral, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 |
| Website | https://www.ettitude.com/ |
| Contact | https://faq.ettitude.com/en-US/contact |
E
ECOVERO™
| Company | LENZING™ |
| Country | Austria |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers are made from wood from responsibly managed forests |
| Certificates | FSC® or PEFC, TÜV AUSTRIA for biodegradability, EU Ecolabel |
| Website | https://www.ecovero.com/ |
| Contact | office@lenzing.com |
ENKA®Viscose
| Company | ENKA |
| Country | Germany |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | ENKA®Viscose is made from regenerated fibers (cellulose) |
| Certificates | FSC®, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold |
| Website | http://www.enka.de/index_en.php |
| Contact | http://www.enka.de/partner_en.php |
M
MICROSILK™
| Company | Bolt Threads |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | animal cell culture |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Microsilk™ is developed with a technolgy that sustainably replicates the process of spiders producing silk fibers at a large scale |
| Website | https://boltthreads.com/technology/microsilk/ |
| Contact | https://boltthreads.com/contact/ |
Milkweed
| Company | MONARK® COOP |
| Country | Canada |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk, feather/down |
| Description | Milkweed follicles are passed through the Fibrex to extract the fiber and seeds. The fiber is then processed for different markets by the industrial equipment of the Monark Cooperative. The particular properties of the fiber make it an advantageous and ecological substitute for various applications: vegetable “silk”, and thermal insulation. |
| Website | https://coopmonark.com/ |
| Contact | info@coopmonark.com |
N
Naia™ Renew
| Company | Eastman |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Naia™ Renew is produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified recycled waste material |
| Certificates | FSC®, PEFC, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, GRS |
| Website | https://www.eastman.com/en/products/brands/naia |
| Contact | https://www.eastman.com/en/products/brands/naia/contact |
Nucycl®
| Company | Evrnu® |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | recycled |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Nucycl® lyocell fiber is made from cotton-rich textiles and production waste sourced from textile recyclers, brands and retailers. The textile waste is then shredded, liquified, purified, and transformed into Nucycl® lyocell fiber, which can be recycled again and again to make new products over and over. |
| Certificates | FSC® |
| Website | https://www.evrnu.com/nucycl |
| Contact | https://www.evrnu.com/contact |
Nullarbor™Tree-Free
| Company | Nanollose |
| Country | Australia |
| Material type | microbial fermentation |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Tree-Free Fibre is grown using microbes that convert waste products into microbial cellulose |
| Website | https://nanollose.com/products/nullarbor/ |
| Contact | info@nanollose.com |
O
Orange Fiber
| Company | Orange Fiber |
| Country | Italy |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Orange Fiber is made from citrus juice byproducts in a pilot plant in Sicily |
| Certificates | GOTS, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 |
| Website | https://orangefiber.it/ |
| Contact | https://orangefiber.it/contact/ |
R
Recover™ (RCotton, RMix, RDenim, ROne)
| Company | Recover Textile Systems |
| Country | Spain |
| Material type | recycled |
| Alternative for | cotton, synthetics, silk |
| Description | Recover™ produces recycled cotton fibres and blends for fashion, accessories, and home textiles. RCotton is 100% recycled cotton, RMix is a recycled polycotton blend, RDenim preserves indigo from denim waste, and Recover™ One combines recycled cotton and polyester, ready to spin. Fibersync Technology ensures consistent blending, colour accuracy, and uniform fibre quality. |
| Certificates | GRS, ISO 9001 (whole company) |
| Website | https://recoverfiber.com/products |
| Contact | https://recoverfiber.com/contact |
Regen™ (Spandex, Nylon, Polyester)
| Company | Hyosung |
| Country | South Korea |
| Material type | recycled |
| Alternative for | synthetics, silk |
| Description | regen™ is a family of recycled textiles by Hyosung TNC, including polyester from PET bottles, nylon from fishing nets and waste, and spandex from pre-consumer scrap. Chemically or mechanically recycled, they offer performance similar to conventional fibres. Hyosung’s R-Scan system ensures traceable recycled content. |
| Certificates | GRS, RCS, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 |
| Website | https://www.hyosungtextile.com/en/regen/about |
| Contact | https://www.hyosungtextile.com/en/customer/global-network |
S
Spidey-Tek
| Company | Spidey-Tek |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Spidey-Tek is produced by placing spider genes that are coded for protein production in the leaves of the alfalfa plants in the Western United States |
| Website | https://spideytek.com/ |
| Contact | info@spideytek.com |
SEACELL®
| Company | SMARTFIBER AG |
| Country | Germany |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | wool, silk, cotton, fiber |
| Description | SEACELL is a patented, eco-friendly fiber that adds a soft, silky feel in sports and leisure textiles – from underwear and loungewear to soft furnishings. Includes 19% of seawood, which contribute antioxidants and vitamins (non-washable additives*) to the fiber. 100% biodegradable. Can be used as a single fiber yarn or blended with other fibers. |
| Certificates | Ecolabel, TUV Austria and TITK |
| Website | https://smartfiber.de/en/seacell |
| Contact | contact@smartfiber.de |
SMARTCEL®
| Company | SMARTFIBER AG |
| Country | Germany |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | wool, silk, cotton, fiber |
| Description | SMARTCEL is a cellulose fiber enriched with a vital zinc oxide which has protective and nurturing effects on the skin for those with skin conditions such as eczema or neurodermatitis, to be blended with other fibers |
| Website | https://smartfiber.de/en/smartcel |
| Contact | contact@smartfiber.de |
T
TENCEL™ LUXE
| Company | LENZING™ |
| Country | Austria |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | TENCEL™ LUXE is a filament made from wood pulp that is sourced from sustainably managed forests and exclusively produced in Austria with an awarded sustainable closed-loop process |
| Certificates | FSC®, The Vegan Society |
| Website | https://www.tencel.com/b2b/product/tencel-lyocell-filament |
| Contact | https://www.tencel.com/b2b/contacts |
Tencel™ Lyocell
| Company | LENZING™ |
| Country | Austria |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | cotton, silk |
| Description | TENCEL™ Lyocell is made from regenerated cellulosic fibers |
| Certificates | EU Ecolabel, TÜV AUSTRIA for biodegradability |
| Website | https://www.tencel.com/b2b/product/tencel-lyocell |
| Contact | https://www.tencel.com/b2b/contacts |
V
Vegan Cupro
| Company | Ipeker |
| Country | Türkiye |
| Material type | plant-based |
| Alternative for | silk |
| Description | Vegan Cupro is made from cotton linter, and purified with Asahi Kasei’s technology. Biodegradable, and decomposes in soil. |
| Certificates | OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, GRS |
| Website | https://ipeker.com/products |
| Contact | https://ipeker.com/contact |
Y
YOPP PHA
| Company | Mango Materials |
| Country | USA |
| Material type | microbial fermentation |
| Alternative for | silk, plastic |
| Description | YOPP PHA pellets is a family of biopolyesters that can be produced naturally by bacteria and other life forms. PHA biopolymers are biodegradable and biobased. |
| Website | https://www.mangomaterials.com/products-2/ |
| Contact | https://www.mangomaterials.com/contact-us/ |
