First of all, what is linen , or even, what is the difference between linen and flax? We have sometimes even been asked if linen is the same thing as cotton, the answer to which is a definite no, by the way. On the other hand, linen and flax are essentially the same thing, flax being the plant from which linen is produced.
Although recognised, the environmental credentials of linen are very much undersold. Flax is something of a super-hero. Requiring only rainwater to grow without the need for mechanical irrigation, fertilisers or herbicides and pesticides it has a positive effect on the diversity of the agricultural eco-system and landscape. In addition, growing this crop offers a welcome ‘environmental pause’ in order to maintain soil quality, preserve landscapes and encourage bio-diversity.
It is versatile.
The fibre is harvested through natural processes with the stem providing the raw material for what will eventually be linen fabric and there is close to zero waste with the rest of the plant being used to provide flax seeds, linseed oil, paper, insulation materials and it has even contributed to the production of British banknotes until we started using polymers instead. It is tempting to say that it is a true cash crop (sorry).
Inbuilt benefits.
Once woven and made into bed sheets or shirts, linen is an eco-friendly staple. It is durable, breathable, highly absorbent which helps with our own bodies’ temperature control, and it also has natural hypoallergenic properties.
Organic linen.
Organic linen bed linen is going one step further along the environmental responsibility track but it does need to be GOTS certified which is recognised as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. Read more about this by clicking on the image to the right.
