Recycled polyester is made by melting down existing plastic — most commonly used PET bottles— and spinning it into new fibers. This reduces the need for virgin fossil resources and helps divert plastic waste from landfills or oceans.

However, most recycled polyester still comes from bottle-to-fiber systems rather than actual textile waste. It also sheds microplastics during washing, and the recycling process itself can be energy-intensive. Additionally, it’s not easily recyclable again once turned into fabric.

Because of these limitations, we rate recycled polyester with C – could be better (if it is GRS-certified).

Organic cotton makes up only a small share of global production - around 2%.

It’s usually grown using crop rotation and without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, which helps protect soil health and biodiversity.

While organic farms often rely more on rainwater than irrigation, actual water use varies greatly by region.

Conventional cotton, which dominates the market, is often grown in large-scale monocultures and tends to depend on chemical inputs and irrigation systems.

We rate organic cotton with B - Better.

In 2023 67% of the fibers we used was organic cotton.

Organic cotton vs. conventional cotton

Global spread:
1% organic cotton vs. 99% conventional cotton

Methods of cultivation: organic cotton is cultivated in rotation with other crops vs. conventional cotton cultivated in monocultures

Pest control: organic cotton only needs natural pest control such as sunflowers vs. all sorts of chemicals in conventional cotton

Water usage: 1kg of organic cotton needs 8.500l of water vs. conventional cotton needing 11.500l of water

Recycled cashmere is made by reclaiming fibers from post-consumer sources (used cashmere garments) and/or pre-consumer sources (production scraps and offcuts).

This process reduces the demand for new raw materials and helps keep valuable cashmere fibers out of landfill.

Compared to virgin cashmere, recycling uses less water and energy, while maintaining the softness and quality cashmere is known for.

Because it extends the life of precious materials and reduces environmental impact, we rate recycled cashmere as A - best option (if GRS-certified)

ECONYL® regenerated polyamide is made by reclaiming waste like fishing nets, industrial scraps, or old carpets.

Instead of relying on virgin polyamide, which is made from fossil fuels, ECONYL® regenerated polyamide is GRS certified and gives waste a second life while reducing the need for new resources through a chemical recycling process.

The process can be resource-intensive, and the fiber continues to shed microplastics during use and washing.

That’s why we rate regenerated polyamide — including ECONYL® — with C – could be better.

The cellulose acetate & bio-acetate we use is high quality and non-petroleum based. Cellulose acetate and bio-acetate are natural and renewable materials, providing an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based materials.

Or in other words: the earrings and hair accessories we offer are not plastic. It is basically the equivalent to Lyocell in clothing which is also not a natural fiber per se but has a natural base (namely cellulose).

Some of you might know this material from (sun-)glasses as it is commonly used in this field, too.

Lenzing™ Ecovero™ viscose is a trademarked type of viscose fiber produced by Lenzing.

It is made from wood pulp sourced from certified, sustainably managed forests.

The production process uses up to 50% less water and generates up to 50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional viscose, making it a more environmentally friendly option.

Like Lyocell, viscose is neither a natural nor a synthetic fiber. It is a regenerated cellulose fiber — derived from natural wood pulp but chemically processed to create the fiber.

We rate this fiber with B - better.

TENCEL™ Lyocell is a trademark owned by the company LENZING™. The general name of the fiber is Lyocell.

Its production process uses a closed-loop system that recycles the solvent and water. The fiber is made from wood sourced from sustainable forestry. While the process is similar to viscose, it is much more sustainable due to these closed-loop practices.

Lyocell is neither a natural nor a synthetic fiber because, although it originates from natural cellulose in wood, it undergoes significant chemical processing to turn it into fiber.

Unlike natural fibers like cotton or wool, which come directly from plants or animals, and synthetic fibers like polyester, which are petroleum-based, Lyocell sits in between - it’s a man-made regenerated cellulose fiber.

We rate this fiber with B - better.

At JAN 'N JUNE we've used TENCEL™ Lyocell for the first time in the 2017 summer collection. Although we have had it on our sustainable fiber agenda since our company’s beginning in 2014, it was impossible for us to offer it earlier. The reason is that our suppliers have high minimum purchase volume for this special fabric.

Luckily we are now able to fulfil these requirements because this is a must have fibre for sustainable brands.

Good news: Linen is naturally a low-impact fiber, but not all linen is created equal. Here’s how we categorize and rank different types of linen based on traceability, farming methods, and overall impact:

Organic Linen: Grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, often with strong transparency and lower environmental impact.

We rate organic linen with A - Best.

Belgian Linen™ : Flax that is grown in Belgium and known for its high quality. However, the “Belgian” label refers to the origin of the flax and the weaving process, not necessarily where the yarn is spun. This step may still take place outside Europe. While not always organic, it’s quite well-regulated and traceable.

We rate Belgian Linen™ with B - Better.

EUROPEAN FLAX®: Grown in Europe under the European Flax® standard, which requires no irrigation, no GMOs, and mechanical fiber extraction (scutching). The standard also includes traceability through key processing steps like harvesting, retting, scutching, spinning, and weaving - all of which must be certified and audited annually

We rate EUROPEAN FLAX® with B - Better.

Organic Cotton is amazing but when it comes to our world’s resources, we have to be aware that water and field land are limited. Cotton, also the organic version, does need both – and a lot of it.

For that reason we need other options. One of them is recycled cotton. In comparison to polyester or polyamide, cotton is recycled mechanically. The process is more difficult and still not widely spread. Meaning: It is generally easier to find fabrics from organic cotton than from recycled.

We're committed to expand the use of recycled cotton and introduced a jersey fabric in 2025 that is 50% recycled cotton (and 50% organic cotton).

We rate recycled cotton with A - Best.

EUROPEAN FLAX® is a qualitative standard, which aims to guarantee the quality and the uniqueness of European flax linen.

EUROPEAN FLAX® label certifies traceability at each step of the processing – from sowing and growing flax to making the fabric to sewing the final linen tablecloth. This means that each step is thoroughly inspected, ensuring that all the parties involved in the process commit to certain criteria of quality.

The EUROPEAN FLAX® Charter, signed by all the Flax producers, guarantees local farming that is committed to reducing the ecological footprint through zero irrigation, zero waste, and growing GMO-free.

Apart from that, we strongly appreciate this material for its natural qualities and benefits. Linen is exceptionally absorbent and highly breathable, keeps a great balance between insulation and ventilation, and even has antiallergenic properties. Thus, linen is a natural, sustainable, and wellness-promoting fabric, suitable for many purposes and safe to use close to human skin.

ENKA ® Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp, produced by the German company ENKA®. Unlike many viscose producers, ENKA® sources its raw materials from certified European forestry and maintains a relatively transparent supply chain.

However, the production process still relies on older viscose technology that uses chemicals and generates waste, without the closed-loop systems seen in lyocell or newer alternatives.

Because of these limitations, we rate ENKA® Viscose with C – could be better.

Recycled wool is made by reclaiming fibers from post-consumer sources (used wool garments) and/or pre-consumer sources (production scraps and offcuts).

This reduces the need for new raw materials and helps divert textile waste from landfills.

The process uses less energy and water compared to producing virgin wool, while still preserving the natural qualities of the fiber.

Because it extends the life of existing materials andand avoids the environmental impact of new wool production, we rate recycled wool as A - best option if it is GRS-certified.