10 Plastic free sewing tips for Plastic Free July!

Happy Summer!

Plastic free July is here again!  This month-long campaign started in Australia in 2011 to help reduce the use of single-use plastics, raise awareness about plastic pollution, and provide solutions to plastic waste.

 The organizers have loads of tips for reducing plastic in all aspects of your life – bathroom products, grocery shopping, laundry, shaving, cleaning and more.  

They even have a section on natural fibers, which gets me very excited because I’m always going on and on about natural fibers 😄.  

BUT one section that they don’t cover is plastic-free sewing tips.  

And that’s right up my alley!  

I’m the first to admit that I’m not perfect and you’ll find plenty of plastic in my sewing studio.  

Plastic quilting rulers, plastic handles on my scissors, plastic balls on my pins, and plastic on my iron.  And don’t get me started on the plastic on my sewing machines!!

But I have learned a lot in my 8 years of building NoTraceShop.com.  

My goal for No Trace has always been to fight waste, particularly plastic waste, with eco-friendly crafting projects and lifestyle tips.  

Also – BTW – being perfect is not the goal of Plastic Free July, in case you’re wondering.  Plastic Free July is all about challenging yourself wherever you are in your life with goals that you can actually reach.  Think baby steps!  

To paraphrase the Zero Waste Chef, Anne Marie Bonneau, we need a million people fighting waste imperfectly, not one person doing it perfectly.

So, I thought I’d share a few of the plastic-free alternatives I’ve found for the materials and tools I like to use in my sewing projects.  

1. All-natural fiber fabrics like organic cotton, linen, and hemp.

Choose natural fibers in place of synthetic or blended fabrics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, rayon, and spandex.

Many fabrics are made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers including polyester, nylon, acrylic, rayon, spandex, elastane, acetate and more.  Synthetic fibers are essentially a form of plastic and are made from fossil fuels.  

Whenever synthetic fabrics go through the wash they release microplastics.  These fibers won’t break down in our lifetime in a compost bin and instead will sit for centuries in a landfill where they’ll break down further into microplastics and also release greenhouse gases such as methane.  

But natural fibers will break down in your own home compost bin in a matter of months.  Also, if you’re looking for a specific fabric for a specific project, lots of all-natural fiber fabrics are out there as alternatives.  You might just have to look a little harder.  

2. cotton thread

Cotton thread is a great alternative to polyester thread, which is the most commonly sold thread.  Cotton thread is compostable in your home compost and won’t shed microplastics when it’s washed, unlike polyester thread.  

Brands like Gutermann, Coats and Clark, and ThreadArt.com sell cotton thread and OrganicCottonPlus.com is a great website for all natural thread, fabric, and more!

3. cotton zippers

Did you know that most zippers are made with polyester or nylon?  

But fear not – cotton zippers DO exist!  You have to look a little bit harder for these – most likely you’ll need to order it online. And probably not in the color you want.  But, if you’re open to a plastic free zipper, you most likely can find one. 

4. all natural elastic 

Did you know that most elastic is wrapped in synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester?  The stretchy core is also a form of synthetic material as well. 

Thankfully companies like Merchant and Mills produce an all natural alternative.  This all natural elastic is made of 100% cotton wrapped around 100% natural rubber latex cores.  

I admit that this elastic may not be available in the size or stretchy-ness that you need.

BUT it’s worth taking a look at your options before reaching for that polyester-based go-to option at your local craft store. 

5. cotton webbing

The most commonly sold webbing is made from synthetic fibers (plastic-based) but there are places to get cotton webbing.  

Try OrganicCottonPlus.com or NationalWebbing.com for starters.  

Cotton webbing won’t melt at the ends like synthetic webbing.  So you do have to make sure and finish the edges another way.  

But isn’t our planet worth a little extra effort?  I think so.

6. homemade bias tape instead of blended fabric

Store-bought bias tape is usually made in a blended fabric that contains some synthetic fibers.

I know – they are SUPER convenient.  

BUT – get yourself a little bias tape maker and you’ll never buy bias tape again!  Those little tools let you make a bias tape in exactly the color and fabric that you want.  And they’re super easy to use!  

There are great step-by-step tutorials on YouTube for making your own bias tape.  So get going!

7. hemp mesh instead of polyester mesh

I found great hemp mesh fabric online that works for delicates bags, produce bags, packing cubes and more.  

Check out hte offerings at bulkhempwarehouse.com

8. waxed cotton instead of waterproof fabric or nylon

Sometimes you need a fabric that wicks or repels water for your projects.  

Thankfully there are waxed cottons that can work for lots of projects.  Try BigDuckCanvas.com or Etsy.com to find the perfect match for your project.

You could even try waxing your own fabric by watching a tutorial online.  All you need is a little beeswax and patience!

9. cotton batting instead of polyfill or interfacing

I love working with cotton batting instead of interfacing. It’s soft, smells great, and won’t release any microplastics over time.

I’ll admit that it’s definitely a thicker material than interfacing and sometimes it’s not quite as stiff.  

But you can still swap it for lots of bag projects and quilts.

10. cotton fabric instead of synthetic interfacing

Some clothing projects call for interfacing to reinforce certain areas of a garment.  

I’m not saying you can ALWAYS do this, but you may find that you can swap out a cotton fabric in place of interfacing for some garments.  

Check out this blog post with helpful ideas about using a natural fiber fabric as an interfacing:

https://www.longancraft.com/blogs/sewing-tips/what-can-i-use-instead-of-interfacing

There it is – my top 10 plastic-free sewing tips for plastic free July!

What am I missing? What else have you found to use in your sewing projects that’s not on my list?  Leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading and for all that you do for our planet. 

 xo,

Liz

P.s. If you’d like to learn more tips from PlasticfreeJuly.org, click here to check out tons of ideas for just about every aspect of your life.