Bamboo is the reasonably new 'eco friendly' alternative to synthetic fibres. It was developed in China.  Bamboo fabric is made from bamboo pulp fibre through the 'viscose' method. It is extremely fast growing and resilient. It's not a wood fibre but grass. Bamboo requires no pesticides, very little water. It takes up more greenhouse gasses than cotton and releases more oxygen, needs no replanting, no fertilisers and its roots are good for stabilising erosion prone soil. Bamboo fabric is light and strong and has excellent wicking properties, making it cool in summer and warm in winter. It is highly water absorbent, so you don't sweat easily in bamboo,great for socks and it's claimed to be antibacterial.  Loop manufacturing is usually used so as to recycle the waste. We stock quite a few bamboo labels at Greenroom Gallery. The material has a lovely weight and soft feel, great for sensitive skin. It has achieved a score of 50 on the UPF scale (UltraViolet Protection Scale) which amounts to a 98% reduction in UV activity reaching your skin. 

Of all fibres used for the textile industry, I personally believe Hemp is the most environmentally friendly choice. Hemp has been used by humans for thousands of years. Hemp is extremely fast growing, good for the soil  being a nitrogen-fixing plant (an ideal rotation crop), naturally pest resistant so needs no pesticides and not a lot of water. The long roots of hemp prevent erosion, produce more fibre per acre than trees and can be harvested 2-3 times a year. The fibres are among the strongest we have. It is odour resistant and offers higher UV protection than any other textile. Hemp is very versatile and is used for food, rope, clothes, shoes and lots more. The fibre in hemp is separated through 'retting' as is the case also with linen. Hemp fabric is lightweight, long lasting, comfortable, 4 times stronger than cotton and cooler to wear in summer. 
@ Greenroom Gallery we stock Hempage which is one of our favourite labels. They do a 100% hemp jersey that's soft and silky. A lot of the clothes are a blend of Hemp/Organic Cotton or Hemp/Recycled Organic Cotton. The super ecofriendly dye, colours are gorgeous.
We have clothes with the classic woven hemp as well, the 'linen' feel. Some garments are a blend of Hemp with 5% Spandex which make the material a bit more stretchy but helps to hold the shape. 
Hemp is grown in Australia and I believe we need more of it. For more information on Hemp, check out my blog HERE.

Linen is one of the worlds oldest fabrics. Linen is woven from the fibres of the flax plant.  In the old days both hemp and flax was called Linen. Linen is a natural fibre and I believe that together with Hemp it's the most ecologically sound fabric of all. Farming flax requires few fertilisers or pesticides. Linen is ready for harvest after only 100 days. The very best part of the fibres are used by the Linen industry but no part of the flax plant is wasted. Other products you get from flax is of course the oil, the seeds, straw and fibre which is used in everything from lino to soap, to cattle feed and paper. Paper for the US Dollar is 25% linen and 75% cotton. The production of Linen fabric uses 5 to 20 times less water and energy that the production of conventional cotton or synthetic fabrics. Linen of course is biodegradable and recyclable. Linen fabric come in anything from almost silk like to sack linen. It's usually white to ivory, may be washed in very hot water but unless pre washed will shrink when being washed the first time. This is the case with most natural fibres. 
We sell linen garments from time to time. We aim for organically grown linen but will accept conventional linen as well since we believe it's reasonably gently on the earth.

Merino Wool is a unique natural fibre, which has been utilized by man throughout the centuries. Due to its wonderful wicking properties, wool makes a great  protective layer against the cold and the heat. Merino wool is natural, sustainable and biodegradable and would have to be classed as an environmentally friendly fibre. The Merino wool fibre is constructed from a complex protein. When a wool product is disposed of, it will naturally decompose in a matter of years, unlike most synthetic fibres, which will stay with us for years to come. Wool fibres are therefore extremely durable and environmentally friendly. To reduce the incident of  'Fly Strike' on Australian Merino sheep, mulesing technique has been used. However new strains of Merinos that do not require mulesing are being promoted in South Australia and 'thin-skinned' sheep from western Victoria are also being promoted as a solution. We stock a few pieces from EMU at Greenroom Gallery. 

Silk is a natural, biodegradable protein fibre, obtained from the cocoons of silkworm larvae. Silk has been in use for at least 3500 years. It is one of the strongest natural fibers but loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. It has a good moisture regain of 11% but poor elasticity. It can be weakened if exposed to too much sunlight. It may also be attacked by insects, especially if left dirty. Silk's absorbency makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather and while active. Its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during cold weather. To produce 1 kg of silk, 104 kg of mulberry leaves must be eaten by 3000 silkworms. It takes about 5000 silkworms to make a pure silk kimono. Tussah silk is an insect friendly alternative to other silk. It is harvested in the wild after the moths have broken free from the cocoons. It is of course more labour intense and the production is much smaller in comparison to farmed silk. The silk scarf that we sell, by Krishna Ellis, are made of Tussa silk chiffon and Merino wool. Our silk kaftans and kimonos are silk chiffon from farmed silk. 

MicroModal  is beech wood made from sustainably managed forest. The cellulose is extracted from indigenous woods and used for the making of modal. The quality is guaranteed through the control of the whole manufacturing process from wood to fibre. The standards of the raw material defines the quality and makes Modal so unmistakable and is 100% natural. MicroModal can be spun into extremely fine yarns.  It is about 50% more water-absorbent per unit volume than cotton. It takes dye just like cotton, and is color-fast when washed in warm water. Textiles made from Modal are resistant to shrinkage and fading. They are smooth and soft, more so than mercerized cotton, to the point where mineral deposits from hard water do not stick to the fabric surface. At this stage we have a small range of modal slips and pants from Ecodiva. If possible Modal is even softer than bamboo.