Environmentally Friendly Fabrics - Did you know that fabric can be made from milk or seaweed?
In this age of global warming and organised climate change protests, we have become much more aware of the environmental impact of the products that we are using. This means that many people now seek to use more environmentally friendly products in their projects and everyday life.
The fashion and textiles industry has a massive environmental impact. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that it accounts for over 10% of the global carbon dioxide emissions and 1.5 trillion litres of water per year. According to The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) over £140 million worth of clothing is put into landfill each year. By 2050, it is estimated that 25% of the worlds carbon budget will be used for the fashion industry which would make it one of the most polluting industries, second only to oil! Maybe this should not be so surprising when we consider that so many fabrics including acrylic, elastine (lycra), nylon and polyester are derived from petroleum.
There are also numerous problems with how many fabrics are produced and processed. The process of dyeing fabrics accounts for the majority of the water that is used to make a product. The dye can then wash out of the garments and ends up in rivers. Bleaching is also used a lot in fabric production and this uses dioxin-producing chlorine compounds which are highly toxic. Solvents, such as glue, are very harmful.
There are also specific fabrics which have detrimental impacts on the environment. These include nylon and polyester which are non-biodegradable and are made from petrochemicals which makes them unsustainable. The manufacturing of nylon produces nitrous oxides which are 310 times more damaging than carbon dioxide and has a large impact on the ozone layer. Polyester has a very water intensive manufacturing process and is very energy intensive. Cotton, although a natural product, is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world and takes up a large amount of agricultural land which could otherwise be used to grow food. Herbicides are also often used and these have a bad impact on the environment, by damaging and changing habitats and affecting biodiversity.
Finally, probably the most ancient form of clothing is animal hides and other animal derived fibres. However, with the growth of veganism and vegetarianism, many people have started to move away from animal derived products such as mohair, silk and leather which result in animal suffering and slaughter. While there are new processes such as the production of peace silk (produced from the empty cocoons of moths) and ethical producers of other fabrics such as wool and angora, there are disturbing examples of many companies and process that continue to cause animals harm. Animal rights issues, farming effects and environmental impact must all be considered when it comes to animal-derived fabrics, not to mention the further huge environmental impact caused by such processes such as leather tanning and dying. With more awareness of animal rights and the effects that these processes have on the lives of animals, many people have starting to move away from animal-derived products.
Because of all the environmental impacts that the fashion and textiles can have, many people around the world are trying to move to more eco friendly and sustainable alternatives. Keep reading to discover how a number of countries around the globe are tackling this problem some using the most surprising raw materials from seaweed to milk!
In China, the Ministry of Environmental Protection stated that their textile industry is the third largest source of industrial wastewater in the country. In 2015, the industry accounted for over 10% of the countries total industrial wastewater discharge. There have also been reports that China’s production of viscose (a fabric made from chemically treated wood pulp) has a toxic impact on the environment. Viscose is the third most commonly used fibre in the world but, while better than the petroleum-derived fibres, many companies have not adapted to sourcing sustainable wood or following responsible production methods. However, for thousands of years, China has been producing the much more environmentally friendly and sustainable hemp fabric and many global companies rely on Chinese hemp to produce their sustainable fabrics and textiles. Hemp is an eco-friendly fabric made from fibres of the outerlayer of the stalks of the plant, Cannabis Sativa. The plant grows well without pesticides or chemical fertilisers which makes it kind to the environment and also improves the soil quality because it protects the topsoil and subsoil structure. Hemp is considered to be a carbon negative raw material, so, it absorbs more carbon than it produces. The manufacture process of the fabric is straight forward and doesn’t use any chemicals. The fabric itself is versatile as it can be strong and durable or soft and flexible. The durability of this fabric means that a hemp product may last more than double the time of the same cotton product however, it is also completely biodegradable. China also produces Bamboo fabric, made from bamboo fibres, which is considered as one of the most eco-friendly fabrics currently in production. Bamboo is one of the worlds fastest growing, self-regenerating plants that improves soil quality and doesn’t need to be replanted. It can also be grown without pesticides or fertilisers. However, some manufacturing processes use harsh chemicals and glue so you have to make sure you pick the correct one by reading the descriptions and labels found on fabric and websites. Finally, China also produces soya fabric, an eco-friendly fabric made from the manufacturing waste of tofu and soy-bean processing. It is a very soft, breathable fabric that is often combined with other materials such organic silk to give the fabric different textures and qualities.
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| Environmentally friendly fabrics produced in China (Left to right - Hemp, Bamboo, Soya) |
Our next country we are taking a look at is India. Textile production in India has continuously developed with associated significant impacts on the environment. The normal growth and production of cotton uses huge quantities of chemicals and water. Organic cotton is produced in many countries across the world such as Turkey, China, West Africa and the USA, however, India was the first to produce it and grows the largest amount of organic and fairtrade cotton. Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical processing which makes it much better than normal cotton which can produce allergic reactions for people with sensitive skin. However, the process of manufacturing the fabric is labour intensive, fairtrade labelling ensures the workers haven't been exploited.
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| Organic cotton produced in India |
Recently, fast fashion has increased in the Philippines. A survey discovered that nearly 29% of people threw away an item of clothing after wearing it only once and 14% of Filipinos threw away clothes because they were bored of them! Pineapple leaf fibres have been used to create fibres and fabrics for years. This fabric is known as pineapple, pinatex or piña fabric depending on the manufacturer. Piña was first cultivated in the Philippines and pineapple silk was traditionally the fabric of choice for the Philippine elite. Piña is created from fibres in the plants leaves. The strands are knotted to create a yarn and then weaved together in a very labour intensive process. Pinatex is made from the waste leaves of the pineapple plant which are a by-product of pineapple harvest meaning that less of the plant is wasted. Pinatex was created by Dr Carmen Hijosa when she was shocked by the environmental impact of the Philippines mass leather production.
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| Pineapple fabric produced in the Philippines |
Textiles production has the fourth largest negative impact on the
environment in Europe. The natural fabric, linen was first produced in Europe and there is evidence
that Neolithic people in Europe from 36,000 years ago created textiles from
linen. This makes it one of the longest produced textiles in the world which is now being made across the world with the largest producing country being China. Fibres
from the flax plant are used to create it. It requires less water to grow than
cotton and is hardier too. The fabric also keeps you cool because it releases
moisture into the air. It is also entirely biodegradable. Also produced in
Europe, more specifically in Austria, is SeaCell. This is made from dried,
crushed seaweed and wood. Production of the fabric takes place in a closed loop
so no chemicals are released into the atmosphere and are instead reused. According to
the SeaCell website “The substances found in seaweed help to activate cell
regeneration, which in turn can help to relieve skin diseases, reduce
inflammation and soothe itchiness.” The fibre is biodegradable and carbon
neutral. Casein or milk fibre was first produced in Italy and is now produced across
Europe and in the USA. It is made from the casein
powder found in milk. It is not considered a fully natural fibre because it is
often mixed with acrylonitrile to give it a cotton-like texture. However, Anke
Domaske - a German fashion designer - has claimed to have come up with a milk
cotton made only from casein fibre which can be considered entirely natural,
she also makes this milk cotton from waste milk from German dairies that can’t
be consumed by humans.
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| Eco friendly fabrics produced in the UK (Left to right - Linen, Seaweed, Milk) |
The United States of America consumes more clothing and textiles than
any other place in the world. Americans consume around £3.8 billion of clothing
each year, 85% of which is sent to landfills annually. Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) is made from tiny flakes of plastic bottles
that are spun into yarn and then woven into recycled polyester fabric. rPET fabric was first produced in the USA, however the largest producer of it today is, again, China. The
production of this fabric uses about 35% less energy than the production of
virgin polyester. rPET is easily recyclable but, because it is plastic, small
plastic fibres can break off of it. However, recycling plastic into fabric is a
good option to lengthen the life and use of clothing and other textiles. Similar to this, EcoSpun or
Eco-fi, created in the USA, is a polyester fibre entirely made from recycled
plastic soda pop (fizzy drink) bottles. The process could keep nearly three billion plastic
bottles out of landfill each year. This means it could save 500,000 barrels of
oil and eliminate 400,000 tons of harmful air emissions. Many different
fabrics are made from EcoSpun/Eco-fi, such as fleece fabrics, and it can be
blended with other fibres, such as cotton, to enhance its qualities. A different
eco friendly fabric that was first made in the USA (although the biggest producers of it today are Europe and China) is Lyocell or Tencel. Lyocell is a form of rayon, a man-made fibre that is made from cellulose fibre found in wood
pulp. Lyocell is biodegradable and the production of the wood doesn’t use pesticides and the cellulose is
obtained from well managed forests. The production also doesn’t produce any
by-products that are harmful to the environment and is significantly quicker to produce than other man made fibres which means less water and energy is used. It is a
durable, antibacterial, soft fabric that is appropriate for sensitive skin.
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| Environmentally friendly fabrics produced in the USA (Left to right - rPET, EcoSpun/Eco-fi, Lyocell/Tencel |
I hope that this trip around the world has opened your eyes to the impact that the fashion and textiles industry has on our environment and has shown you just some of the alternative fabrics that you could use to help to reduce the impact on the planet. To change your habits, consider, sustainable production and processing, minimising environmental impact, ethical manufacture and the three ‘R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle).
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