Why small details matter in sustainable clothing
Recently, I bought a beautiful 100% organic cotton shirt from a well-known high-street retailer.
I chose it carefully because I have been making a conscious effort to buy clothing made from natural fibres. Organic cotton is breathable, biodegradable, and far kinder to the environment than synthetic fabrics.
On paper, the shirt aligned perfectly with my values.
But something unexpected happened the first time I ironed it.
The buttons melted.
Yes, the buttons actually melted under the iron.
Suddenly, a garment that had seemed thoughtfully made revealed a hidden problem: the buttons were made from cheap plastic.
For a shirt at this price point, it felt disappointing. More importantly, it revealed a wider issue within the fashion industry.
The hidden problem with plastic buttons
Most clothing buttons today are made from polyester or other petroleum-based plastics.
They are inexpensive to produce and easy for manufacturers to source in large quantities, which is why they are so common across the fashion industry.
However, plastic buttons come with several environmental problems:
• They are made from fossil fuels
• They are not biodegradable
• They can remain in landfill for hundreds of years
• When garments break down, plastic components remain behind
Even garments made from natural fibres often contain these small plastic parts.
So while the fabric itself may biodegrade, the buttons do not.
These tiny details quietly undermine what might otherwise be a sustainable garment.
A simple solution: replacing the buttons
Rather than throwing the shirt away, I decided to repair it.
I removed the melted plastic buttons and replaced them with Corozo buttons.
Corozo is a natural material made from the tagua nut, often referred to as vegetable ivory. It comes from the seeds of a South American palm tree and has been used in garment making for over a century.
Corozo buttons are:
• 100% natural
• Biodegradable
• Durable and heat resistant
• Beautifully textured and long lasting
With this small change, the shirt became wearable again and far more aligned with the values that led me to buy it in the first place.
How small repairs extend the life of clothing
In a world of fast fashion, clothing is often treated as disposable.
But repairing garments, even in small ways, can dramatically extend their lifespan.
Replacing buttons is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep clothing in circulation.
Instead of discarding a garment because of a minor flaw, a small repair can give it many more years of use.
This is one of the core principles of slow fashion: caring for what we already own.
Sustainability is often about the smallest details
When we talk about sustainable fashion, the conversation usually focuses on fabrics; organic cotton, linen, wool or silk.
But sustainability is also found in the smallest components.
Buttons
Thread
Elastic
Labels
These tiny details matter more than we realise.
At Beautiful Benevolence, this philosophy guides everything we create. Every material we use, from fabric to elastic, is carefully chosen so that our garments and accessories are biodegradable and free from hidden plastics.
You can read more about our approach on our sustainability philosophy page.
For example, our SAGE biodegradable scrunchie is made using organic cotton and a natural rubber stretch core instead of synthetic elastic, a small but meaningful change that avoids plastic materials entirely.
We will also soon be sharing more about why Beautiful Benevolence avoids plastic components wherever possible, including the environmental impact of materials that often go unnoticed in garment design.
A gentle reminder for mindful wardrobes
This experience reminded me of something simple but powerful:
Sustainable wardrobes aren’t built overnight.
They grow slowly through thoughtful choices, small repairs and a willingness to care for what we already own.
Sometimes sustainability begins with something as small as changing a button.
And sometimes, that small act is enough to give a garment a whole new life.
This commitment, absolute care and dedication to their values and mission is so inspiring and integral to the Beautiful Benevolence team. Every scrunchie, from start to finish, is subject to this rigour and scrutiny and made with love. Well done Beautiful Benevolence for such amazing values and standards in an industry which is so fast paced and disposable. Love the scrunchies! Love Beautiful Benevolence!
Very insightful post; I remember my mum having a button box full of buttons which she had saved to reuse.