Did you know you can test soil health simply by burying a pair of cotton pants, waiting for at least six weeks and checking what’s left after that? Healthy soils and compost bins have a diverse range of active bacteria, fungi, protozoa and insects which will yield tattered and deteriorated undies at the end of 6 weeks (depending on the time of year). Read on to find out more about how this works, and about natural fibres with Closing Loops and Sewing Cafe Lancaster.
What you will need for this experiment:
- Access to a small area of ground or a compost bin/heap in which to bury the pants
- Some old, no longer needed, pants or other small garment containing a small percentage of synthetic fibers*
- Spade or trowel
- A camera
- Access to email to send photos in
* This cloth burying experiment will only work with natural fabrics and those categorised as ‘semi synthetic’ that are cellulose based. A buried garment with a small amount of synthetic fibres will
be easier to find when digging up.
Cellulose fibres and materials (all of these should break down when buried in soil): Cotton, linen, ramie, hemp, bamboo (which is processed in a similar way to viscose), jute.
Viscose – semi-synthetic fabric type made from natural cellulose (usually wood pulp), sometimes known by its original brand name, Rayon. Modal is a type of viscose made from Beech pulp. Lyocell is a type of viscose made from Eucalyptus.
Download instructions on how to complete the experiment and how to share your results.
You can also pick up a kit with instructions and a wooden label for marking the spot where you buried your fabric during Renew – Fashion Revolution Week 2025 at The Storey in Lancaster.
