Plastic in disguise

14 days ago

A 100% merino wool T-shirt or 100% cotton T-shirt sounds straightforward — a natural, plastic-free garment made entirely from cotton or wool fibers. But in reality, even the simplest clothing item usually contains more than just cotton. From the threads to the labels and even the prints, every “100% cotton” T-shirt contains hidden polyester or other synthetic materials. This isn’t necessarily greenwashing — it’s the result of decades of industry standards, habits, and constraints. Let’s break down what’s really in your cotton T-shirt, why plastic-free clothing is so hard to make, and how we’re changing that.

1. Stitching threads: all T-shirts are sewn with polyester thread - even the ones made from 100% cotton fabric. Why?

Industrial sewing machines are designed for polyester threads.
Polyester is strong, stretches slightly, and rarely breaks under fast, repetitive stitching.
Most manufacturers no longer work with cotton thread, as it requires different machine settings and more handling time.

Cotton thread is not impossible to use - it’s just uncommon. It’s more expensive, less forgiving in machines, and requires experienced handling. Yet, it’s the only option if you want a completely plastic-free product.

Example: If you look closely at the stitching on the inside of your “100% cotton” T-shirt, you'll likely see a shiny, slightly stretchy thread - that’s polyester.

2. Brand labels and care labels: they are always made of synthetic materials even when the rest of the garment is natural. Most label manufacturers no longer offer 100% cotton options. Why? Because they simply no longer have the machines needed to weave with pure cotton thread.

At Cevene, we reached out to dozens of label makers around the world — and very few still have the technical capacity to produce a label made entirely of cotton, with no synthetic fibers. We actually already placed an order for cotton labels — and ended up receiving polyester ones instead. It’s easy to verify: polyester burns and melts like plastic, while cotton does not.

Polyester labels don’t fray, so they can be laser-cut quickly with clean edges.
Cotton labels, in contrast, require folding, stitching, or special finishing to avoid fraying.
Label weavers no longer have the equipment needed for that.

Many factories offer polycotton labels - which feel natural but are part plastic. It’s a woven blend: cotton weft over a polyester warp.

Example: flip your care label - chances are it’s a small white tab with heat-transferred black text. That tab is usually polyester, and the ink used to print on it is plastic. This also applies to badges, decorative trims, and brand tags.

3. Printings: they are one of the biggest challenges when it comes to avoiding plastic in garments. Whether it’s a logo, graphic, or care instruction, printing almost always involves plastic.

Most inks used in screen printing are plastisol-based (PVC).
Even water-based inks often contain plastic binders to make them durable.
Digital textile printing also uses synthetic compounds for colorfastness.

Not to mention the large graphic printed on the front or back of your T-shirt - it’s almost always made with plastic-based ink. And often, it’s poor quality. As the shirt wears and washes, the print flakes off in tiny plastic particles, which end up in the environment as microplastic waste.

Currently, there's only one known way to print on fabric without using plastic - and we’re actively developing it.

The truth is, the global fashion industry is deeply reliant on plastic - especially polyester. It’s cheap, strong, versatile, and deeply embedded in every step of manufacturing.

At Cevene, we’re committed to making truly plastic-free clothing. It means rethinking every component of the manufacturing process:

We stitch our garments using cotton thread.
Our labels are made from 100% cotton, sourced from specialty suppliers who still know how to make them.
We’re developing seaweed-based printing technology - the only known method to apply information or graphics without petroleum-derived compounds.

This demands custom sourcing, dedicated suppliers, and a slower, more thoughtful production process. Each of these steps adds cost, time, and complexity. That’s why even brands with the best intentions often end up with hidden polyester in their products.

So, Is Your “100% Cotton” T-Shirt Really 100% Cotton?

No, and now you know why. It’s not about misleading labels; it’s about an industry built on convenience and synthetic materials. Changing that means rethinking every part of the process - not just the fabric. At Cevene, we’re on a mission to create clothing that’s fully natural and fully plastic-free - down to the thread. One T-shirt at a time. So that 100% cotton really means 100% cotton.