Are polyester flags better?

The feeling of artificial fibers against my skin is gross: the fabric slips and slides like the oil it’s made from, and doesn’t provide me any of the comfort or sense of style I draw from natural fibers. I won’t say that I have completely eliminated polyester, rayon and the like from my wardrobe—the stuff is everywhere—but I can say with confidence that I don’t own any nylon flags, at least. In a perfect world I’d only own American flags made from hemp like the first ones were, but we aren’t quite there yet.

Hemp may be a long way off, but in the meantime it’s better only to use flags made from other natural fibers. We know that plastics can’t really be recycled, after all, and nylon falls apart just as quickly as cotton when left to the elements. Polyester flags are pushed as “weather-resistant,” and “tear-proof,” but I see no evidence that this is true. Careless Americans who abandon their flags to the elements will reduce them to tatters in short order regardless; why not choose something that is kinder on the planet? If you want to make a flag last, bring it in at night.

Flags made from natural fibers can be burned without worrying too much about holding your breath or keeping your skin out of the smoke. Whether you’re respectfully retiring a flag with fire or burning it in effigy, a cotton one is going to be a healthier alternative than a rayon one.