Eco-friendly yarns focus on natural (not synthetic), renewable and/or recycled materials, and there are a lot of great options out there that you can feel good about purchasing and using in your crochet and knitting projects.

We do not yarn shame here so if you prefer using synthetic fibers, like acrylic, or conventional cottons for their durability and affordability or yarns with pretty metallics in them; it’s completely understandable and perfectly okay! We enjoy using these yarns as well. This list of eco-friendly yarns and the details in this article is purely for informational purposes should you be looking for a yarn that fits this category, and there are so many more than we have included down below.

What to Look for in Eco-Friendly Yarns:

• Plant Based, like organic cotton, hemp, linen, eucalyptus and tencel, which are both renewable and biodegradable. Organic fibers are going to not have faced ugly pesticides in the growing process and consume less water as well (versus conventional cotton).
• Animal Based, like mulesing-free and non-superwashed wool, alpaca, mohair, camel, llama, cashmere and yak, which are also renewable and biodegradable. The superwash process on wools is a chemical process so while it makes more durable yarns, it takes away from the eco-friendliness of using wool.
• GOTS or Oeko-Tex Certified – this ensures sustainable farming and fair labor practices
• Recycled Materials, which can be from things like plastic bottles and fabric bits from clothing mills.

What is GOTS certified? GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard, and it’s an organization with strict environmental and social criteria to ensured a product is made entirely from certified organic fibers from start to finish such as where it is sourced from, how it is processed including no harmful chemicals plus fair working conditions and treatment of workers and how it is traded.

What is Oeko-Tex Certified? Oeko-Tex certified means textiles that have been tested and confirmed to be free of harmful levels of toxic materials from the raw products to the finished product. You may also see labels on Oeko-Tex products like Standard 100, which focuses on the more than 100 harmful chemicals, and Made in Green, which focuses on both toxic materials as well as sustainability and ethical work conditions and wages.

What to Avoid When Choosing an Eco-Friendly Yarn:

• Synthetic Fibers, like acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyamide, rayon and viscose, which are man-made materials that rely on the use of coal and petroleum to create them and are not biodegradable as they are essential plastic. Now, I’m speaking in terms of 100% because there are several recycled yarns that reuse these materials. Synthetic yarns also shed microplastics when washed, which contaminate our water and food sources.
• Conventional Cotton, which is essential all cotton yarns that are not labeled organic or GOTS certified, as these use a lot more water as well as pesticides and harmful fertilizers.

Eco-Friendly Yarn Gray Zone:

• Bamboo is an eco-friendly yarn option that grows extremely quickly, however, it’s often combined with synthetic fibers to add durability, like rayon and viscose, which tank the eco-friendliness.
• Mercerized Cotton is 100% cotton, which is a more eco-friendly option however, it uses a chemical called Caustic Soda, to add durability and better absorption of the dye. While the added durability reduces waste by making a product that will last longer and leads to less dye running off in washing and use, it uses more water in the process and requires more energy to produce. I will add that caustic soda is toxic if consumed or inhaled, but manufacturers do wash it out in the finished yarn though I highly recommend washing a crocheted or knitted project made from mercerized yarn before using and would not use it for products like washcloths for myself.
• Silk is both a natural and biodegradable option, however, it does require high energy use in farming and more water use, which puts it in the gray zone.

Eco-Friendly Yarns for Crochet and Knitting:

Berroco Remix Light #3 Weight | Berroco Remix #4 Weight | Berroco Remix Chunky #5 Weight

Berroco Remix Yarn is a fantastic wool-free, eco-friendly yarn that consists of 30% superfine nylon, 27% cotton, 24% acrylic, 10% silk and 9% linen all of recycled fibers from garments and other textiles that are leftover. The material is shredded, combined and respun, and the result is a durable yarn with a beautiful, textured, tweed effect.

Berroco Gaia Yarn is a lovely, eco-friendly, tweed yarn comprised of 70% Recycled Cotton and 30% Recycled Polyester that is perfect for warm weather projects, especially with all the fun, coastal colorways. This is a lightweight #3 weight yarn.

Berroco Seaspun Yarn is an awesome, chainette worsted weight yarn comprised of 50% Cotton and 50% SEAQUAL Polyester, which is made from 10% recycled plastic from the ocean! The colorways and chainette construction scream Hello Summer! This is a worsted weight #4 yarn. Definitely check out the SEAQUAL Initiative for more information on their commitment to fighting plastic pollution!

Queensland’s Myrtle Yarn is a soft, eco-friendly vegan yarn made of 100% Lyocell spun from Eucalyptus fibers that is perfect for silky wearables and accessories. You’ll love how easy projects are to care for too being machine washable, and the positive impact you’re making on the environment by choosing this beautiful yarn! This is a worsted weight #4 yarn.

Juniper Moon Big Merino Wool Yarn is a pillowy soft and squishy super bulky yarn made of 100% GOTS certified organic Merino Wool from sheep that freely roam the Andes mountains. It is the perfect yarn for quick and cozy wearables and accessories. This is a super bulky #6 weight yarn.

Araucania Alga Yarn is a stunning, lightweight, eco-friendly yarn comprised of 65% Organic Cotton, 23% Bamboo Viscose and 12% SEACELL Seaweed Viscose that is perfect for soft and breathable wearables and accessories! This is a lightweight #3 yarn.

Alba #3 Weight Yarn | Alba #4 Weight Yarn

Jody Long Alba Yarn is a soft, luxurious, lightweight tweed yarn made of 50% Merino Wool, 25% Superfine Alpaca and 25% of sustainably sourced Viscose that is warm, yet breathable making it the perfect yarn for year round wearables and accessories.

Falkland #4 Weight Yarn | Falkland #5 Weight Yarn

Queensland’s Falkland Yarn is a soft and bouncy, worsted weight yarn made of 100% fine merino wool harvested from sheep ethically raised in the Falkland Islands where the sheep can roam free. This wool is soft, yet hardwearing making it the perfect yarn for cozy wearables and accessories, but also home decor items like blankets and pillows. 

Araucania Fiesta Yarn is a super soft, gorgeous super bulky yarn comprised of 100% Pure Virgin Merino Wool that is perfect for cozy projects, especially wearables and accessories! This is a super bulky weight #6 yarn.

Herriot Lightweight #3 Yarn | Herriot Chunky Weight #5 Yarn

Juniper Moon Herriot Yarn is a soft yarn comprised of mulesing-free 100% Baby Alpaca that is perfect for cozy wearables, and accessories!

Berroco Talara Yarn is an incredibly soft and springy, chainette yarn comprised of 100% Baby Llama that feels amazing against the skin and is perfect for cool / cold weather projects! The fun texture of the yarn creates such a cozy and lush fabric that is sure to delight! This is a worsted weight #4 yarn.

Moonshine Worsted Weight #4 Yarn | Moonshine Chunky Weight #5 Yarn

Juniper Moonshine Yarn is a buttery soft, luxurious yarn comprised of 60% Highland Peruvian Wool, 30% Extrafine Baby Alpaca and 10% Organic Silk that is perfect for cozy wearables, and accessories!

Circulo’s Sugar Cane Yarn is a silky soft and shiny, lightweight yarn made of 100% viscose that is especially perfect for warm weather wearables and accessories. As the name implies, it’s made from the fibrous material leftover after harvesting the juice from sugarcanes, called sugarcane bagasse, so you can feel good about using this recycled, biodegradable yarn. This is a worsted weight #4 yarn.

Entering from the gray zone, Jody Long My Little Sunshine Yarn uses eco-friendly dyes and is comprised of 60% Organic Cotton and 40% Acrylic. This is a lightweight #3 yarn.