Other options for alternatives to mulberry silk include: Reclaimed silk. Soysilk. Banana silk.
Cupro. Another great alternative to silk is cupro, which is made with waste from the cotton plant. It is much cheaper but mimics the properties of silk.
TENCEL™ is a brand under the Austrian company Lenzing, and produces two materials that are often described as vegan silk. TENCEL™ lyocell and TENCEL™ modal fibres are becoming much-used textiles in sustainable fashion. They are both plant-based fibres derived from wood pulp cellulose from certified sustainable forests.
Is the mulberry silk vegan? No. The silkworms are farmed to produce the cocoons for the silk yarn, wild mulberry silk is not available as the silk worms are domesticated.
Bamboo: The vegan alternative to silk sheets, pillowcases and sleep masks – All About Sleep UK.
Bamboo is a much more sustainable material than silk and is vegan-friendly too.
Ahimsa Silk, also known as peace silk, cruelty-free silk and non-violent silk, refers to any type of silk that is produced without harming or killing the silk worms. (It is also, erroneously, called vegan silk. As an animal product, however, it is not vegan.)
Wild or non-mulberry silks are produced from various species of insects. Most popular non-mulberry silks that are commercially available are tasar (Antheraea mylitta), eri (Samia cynthia ricini), and muga (Antheraea assamensis).
Unlike traditional silk production, which involves boiling silkworms alive within their cocoons to obtain the silk fibers, Peace Silk is made by allowing the silkworms to complete their metamorphosis into moths before harvesting their cocoons. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term that means 'non-violence' or 'non-harming'.
Lyocell fabric is the best vegan silk alternative because the waste created to make it is almost completely recycled. Lyocell takes the cellulose fibers from bamboo to create fabric.
Nylon, milkweed-pod fibers, silk-cotton tree and ceiba tree filaments, polyester, and rayon are animal-free, easy to find, and usually less expensive than silk. If you're looking for silk-free underwear, WAMA Underwear uses hemp as an alternative.
Rayon. Rayon is the most common silk alternative and is a hybrid of natural and synthetic fibers. This fabric is made by chemically dissolving plant cellulose fibers, shaping the liquid into filaments, and hardening them into a solid shape. Rayon is a versatile fiber that mimics the feel and texture of silk.
Mulberry silk is more refined than other types of silk as it's made up of individual long fibres, which also helps to give it its bright white colour. This is what makes products that are 100% Mulberry silk so desirable, because not only are they high quality, but they're durable too.
Mulberry silk is by far the most luxurious of silk that's available. Beyond sleek and smooth, mulberry silk is what you want to be looking out for when purchasing silk.
Rayon is a semi-synthetic fabric, and its lightweight, soft, and durable characteristics make it a perfect Peace Silk alternative.
They are Tasar silk, Muga silk, Eri silk, Anaphe silk, Fagara Silk, Coan silk, Mussel silk and Spider silk.
When shopping for silk pillowcases and sheets, you may be confused about the difference between silk and satin. The fact is this: genuine mulberry silk and satin are two entirely different fabrics.
Satin is actually a synthetic material and not a natural fiber like pure mulberry silk. Satin will also have a glossy and non-glossy side just like silk and can often be called charmeuse, but don't confuse satin charmeuse with natural silk charmeuse as it is not the same.
The silk is made by first feeding mulberry leaves to silkworms. The silkworms then spin spools of the raw mulberry silk. Cocoons are often placed in hot water to help loosen the silk fibers so that they can be collected; however, this is unethical as it subsequently kills the silkworm.
Abused Insects and Exploited Workers
If any disease is found, the eggs are destroyed. Male moths are simply discarded after they mate. It's not uncommon to see birds pecking at baskets full of male moths left outside of silk-production facilities.
Is Silk Vegan? Silk fibers are produced by silkworms, which are actually not worms but caterpillars, for their cocoons. These cocoons—along with the metamorphosing caterpillar inside—are boiled and processed into silk threads and fabrics. Since it comes from caterpillars, silk is clearly not vegan.
Majority of the bamboo grown in different locations of the world is eco-friendly as it requires no pesticides or fertilizers and needs little water. Currently, bamboo fabric is considered to be the trendiest sustainable fabric in the fashion world.
Synthetic fibers such as nylon were used in products such as parachutes and stockings, replacing silk. Even after the war, silk was not able to regain many of the markets lost, though it remained an expensive luxury product.
More Sustainable Options
Peace Silk - Peace silk, also known as cruelty free silk or Ahimsa Silk, comes from cocoons where moths have been allowed emerge from their cocoons.