1. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
ECO-FRIENDLY CLOTHING
When shopping for clothes, many people shop based on things like comfort or style, but not many people check for
clothing’s eco-friendliness.
More and more clothing companies are providing clothes made from eco-friendly fabrics. Demand for these clothes
is increasing too. This makes sense given the environmental issues we’re faced with in today’s world.
SETTING THE CONTEXT
 Textiles Production and Processing - Chemical Intensive Applications
 Associated Social and Environmental Concerns
 Growing Concerns -
o Increasing industrial Pollution,
o Industrial waste disposal problems,
o Economic and social health of the farmers and industrial workers,
o Lack of awareness and understanding of the positive effect a person can have.
 Unawareness about Environmental Sustainability – Ethical, Environmental and Socially responsible
business structures are required.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
1. Need to believe in environmental sustainability – taking incremental steps in supply chain processes to
make it happen.
2. Need to be aware about the social, economical and ecological benefits of environmentally sustainable
products and development processes.
3. Care for the Environment
 Influence the supply chain to use Sustainable Processes,
 Run business operations in an environmentally friendly way,
 Work to conserve energy and reduce waste,
 Sustainable design approach - Explore and implement sustainable materials and products.
SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES
Textile products that have been environmentally friendly support communal harmony, as well as capable of
supporting fashion needs.
WHAT MAKES A FABRIC “ECO-FRIENDLY”?
Eco-friendly fabrics generally have the following characteristics:
 Minimum use of chemicals and pesticides,
 Best land management practices,
 Sustainable farming practices,
 Eco-friendly certification (i.e. EU-Eco label certification),
 Animal friendly,
 Production adheres to fair trade practices
RAJEEV SHARAN- ECOSPUN SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
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2. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
CLASSIFICATION - Eco Friendly Textiles Fibres
MANMADE RECYCLED
ORGANIC NATURAL
FIBRES FIBRES
Organic Corn/Soya Recycled Naturally
Cotton Bean polyester Colored Cotton
Organic Recycled
Pineapple
Wool polyester
Lyocell
Organic Silk
Tencel, Lycra
Hemp/Ramie
/Jute
Eco Textiles: Any textile product, which is produced in eco-friendly manner and processed under eco-friendly
limits (defined by agencies like oekotex, ifoam etc.).
Organic: Any crop cultivated by using organic principles of agriculture like organic manures and bio fertilizers can
be considered Organic. This is a crop that is cultivated without pesticides, chemicals and synthetic fertilizers (e.g.,
organic cotton).
Recycled/ biodegradable: Natural and synthetic fibres which are biodegradable or can be broken into pieces to
recycle and produce textile fibres again are called recyclable fibres. These are recycled to produce recycled fibres,
and then converted into textiles.
Natural: Natural fibres- like cotton, linen, jute etc. which are obtained from natural sources and may be considered
ecofriendly based on the process of cultivation and processing.
THE FABRICS
Here’s a list of eco-friendly fibres to look out for. Next time you’re shopping for clothes, look out for clothes that
are made from the following fibres (or other eco-friendly fibres):
1. Hemp - An amazing natural fibre. Some say hemp could have 25,000 uses. Hemp provides enormous
benefit to the natural environment. This is true when used in products and when growing the hemp plant.
2. Jute - Similar to hemp, jute is a type of vegetable fibre used for thousands of years, with outstanding
potential for the future.
3. Ingeo - Trademark for a man-made fibre derived from corn.
4. Calico - Fabric made from unbleached cotton. Also referred to as muslin.
5. Hessian Cloth - Coarse woven fabric made from jute or hemp.
6. Organic cotton - Cotton grown organically (without pesticides etc)
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3. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
7. Recycled Polyester - Polyester created from used polyester garments.
8. Bamboo Fibre - Bamboo fabric is very comfortable and 100% biodegradable.
9. Tencel® - Brand name for a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose.
10. Ramie - Ramie fibres are one of the strongest natural fibres. Ramie can be up to 8 times stronger than
cotton, and is even stronger when wet.
11. Organic Wool - Organic wool is wool that has been produced in a way that is less harmful to the
environment than non-organic wool.
12. Organic Linen - Linen that is made from flax fibre. Could also refer to be linen made from other
organically grown plant fibres.
13. FORTREL EcoSpun - Fibre made from plastic containers
14. Milk Silk - Silk made from milk
15. Soy Silk - Silk made from soybeans
16. Nettle fibre - Made from stinging nettle (commonly known as a weed)
17. Spider-web fabric - Fabric made from spider webs. Still in the experimental stages.
18. Pineapple fibre
19. Banana leaf fibre
20. Black diamond fibre
21. Lyocell
SUSTAINABLE PROCESSING
Textile wet processing using environmentally friendly agents and sustainable methods of processing in order to
have environmentally safe processing with less chemicals inputs and problems in effluent disposals etc. (e.g., use of
peroxide bleaching, natural dyes, azo free dyes.)
WET PROCESSING – Environmental Concerns
Important environmental concerns related to textile wet processing:
 Chemical intensive wet processing: scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, printing etc.
 Heavy metals: iron, copper, lead etc, found in dyestuffs auxiliaries, binders etc.
 Residual dyestuffs, chemicals in water: due to poor fixation of colours.
 PVC and phthalates: used in plastisol printing paste.
 Formaldehyde: found in dispersing agents, printing paste and colorant fixatives.
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4. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
Need for Ecofreindly Wet Processing –sustainable and beneficial methods.
 Eco friendly bleaching – Peroxide bleaching
 Eco friendly dyeing and Printing
o Low impact dyes
o Natural dyes
o Azo Free dyes
o Phthalates Free Printing
Explore into Bio Processing of Textiles
 Bio-processing can simply be defined as the application of living organisms and their components to
industrial products and processes, which are mainly based on enzymes.
 Bio processing also offers the potential for new industrial processes that require less energy, less water and
less effluent problems with effective results.
o Enzymatic Desizing
o Enzymatic Scouring
o Enzymatic Bleaching
o Bio polishing and Enzyme based softeners etc.
Eco-Friendly Finishes and Dyes
As well as the fabric used to make clothes, many clothes are dyed and/or have laminate finishes etc. Here are some
eco friendly options:
 Biodegradable TPU Laminate - Solvent free TPU that can biodegrade in as little as 4 years.
 NanoSphere® Textile Finish - Self cleaning textile finish for clothing and other textiles.
 Non-Toxic Dyes - These can be better for health as well as the environment.
OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
 Corporate Leadership – Huge Opportunities
 Key Driver – Rapidly increasing Consumer awareness and increasing demand for sustainable products
 NGO’s and Consumer Organizations – Enablers and motivational support to corporate
 Business benefits in using socially responsible business practices and sustainable products.
COMPANIES GOING SUSTAINABLE
 Cutter & Bucks – fall’04 with 50 % organic
 Coop of Switzerland- Sum ’02 with 5% organic
 Gap Inc – launched first organic cotton collection in Sum’06.
 H&M – launched first collection in fall’05
 Marks &Spencer - fall’03 with 5% organic cotton
 Nike – fall’02 with 5-10% organic cotton and Lycra
 Nordstrom – Sum’02 with 5 % Organic
 Pratibha Syntex - Successfully selling blended knits of organic cotton, Bamboo, recycle cotton and other
eco fibres.
 Tree Hugger- launched his first Bamboo blended collection in sum 06.
 Timberland- Spr’03-Spr’06 with 5-10% organic
 Under the Canopy - Successfully running eco fashion business using all sustainable fibres.
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5. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
Fortrel® EcoSpun®
The Renewable Resource
EcoSpun2™
The Power of Performance!
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6. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
ECOSPUN (ECO-FI)
Eco-fi , formerly known as EcoSpun, is a high-quality polyester fiber which has been developed by the U.S.
company Wellman Inc. Many different fabrics are made using Eco-fi, including fleece fabrics which are warm,
durable, weather resistant, lightweight and comfortable. They are very soft to the touch.
Ecospun is a polyester fiber made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Eco-fi can also be blended with other fibers,
such as wool, cotton and tencel, for enhanced qualities. Eco-fi is used mostly for vests, jackets, pants, blanket
throws and accessories. It is also used in carpets, home furnishings and fibrefill.
LIFE CYCLE
TIMELINE OF ECOSPUN
 In 1993, Wellman, Inc., introduced EcoSpun, a revolutionary fibre made from 100 percent recycled plastic
soda, water and food containers. The United Nations awarded Wellman with the first Fashion Industry
Award for Environmental Excellence.
 Apr 22, 1994 - In fact, they were made from Fortrel EcoSpun, a fabric derived from PET ( polyethylene
terephthalate) bottles that have been cleaned. Some of these fabrics are 100 percent EcoSpun fibres. Others
are a blend of EcoSpun and cotton or wool.
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7. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
 Oct 12, 1995 - That's because Fortrel EcoSpun is a real fabric, said Alison Deyette, a fashion consultant
with Wellman Inc. of New Jersey, which turns bottles into ball “Just about anything in your wardrobe you
can make with EcoSpun,”
 March 20, 2005 New York Times* Models sauntered down a catwalk showing off the latest work of
designers. Every garment was made with fibres spun from bamboo, corn, organic cotton and materials that
promoters said were eco.
 Apr 12, 2008 - Since taking over the company, Foss has expanded its work force from 320 employees to
460 and created new product lines like Ecospun, created from recycled plastics. The company was recently
named the "Innovation Rocks" award winner by the New Hampshire Division of Economic.
 Jan 21, 2009 - Ecofi Felt formerly known as Ecospun is a polyester felt made from 100% post consumer
recycled plastic bottles. It takes 10 plastic bottles to make 1 pound of Ecofi fibre As a frame of reference it
takes 17 bottles to make enough fibre for a sweatshirt.
WELLMAN’S LONG HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
 In 1965 began producing nylon and polyester staple fibers and plastic resins from recycled raw materials.
 Began recycling PET bottles for polyester fiber in 1978.
 In 1979 established a PET bottle recycling facility in Johnsonville, SC.
 Introduced Fortrel® EcoSpun®, the first 100% post consumer recycled polyester textile fiber, in 1993.
 An Engineered Resins facility that uses recycled nylon and polyester. Wellamid® Ecolon® nylon resin,
made from recycled nylon post-consumer carpet, goes into many molded automotive end-uses. Wellpet®
PET polyester resins are available from post-consumer materials.
WELLMAN’S ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS
 Fashion Industry Award for Environmental Excellence by the United Nations Environmental
 Programme (1993).
 Green Star from the Environmental Action Coalition (1993).
 Edison from the American Marketing Association for innovation and excellence (1993).
 Keep America Beautiful Award (1994).
 White House Award from the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (1996).
ECOSPUN®-THE RENEWABLE RESOURCE
 Wellman sources Fortrel® EcoSpun® staple products produced from certified 100% postconsumer plastics.
 EcoSpun® staple fibres are available in a range of deniers for various applications which may
include:
o 100% & blended apparel & accessories
o Fibrefill applications
o Industrial substrates
o Nonwoven consumer goods.
ECOSPUN2™-THE POWER OF PERFORMANCE!
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8. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
EcoSpun2™ is a 1.4 denier, multi-channel cross-section fiber designed for performance moisture management.
 Unique cross-section facilitates wicking and moisture vapour transport.
 100% post-consumer recycled for performance apparel applications.
Multi-channel fibre SEM
ECOSPUN® CERTIFICATION
 EcoSpun® suppliers certify raw material source and content.
 EcoSpun® is independently tested and certified to be produced using 100% post-consumer recycled raw
materials by the North Carolina Centre for Applied Textile Technology.
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9. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
PLASTIC FACTS
 The 51 billion plastic bottles in landfills end-to-end would wrap around the earth 5 times.
 For each billion bottles not in landfills --over 1/4 million barrels of oil are saved; eliminating 150,000
tonnes of harmful air emissions that contribute to global warming, acid rain, smog
 Amt. of petroleum saved yearly by using post-consumer bottles in manufacturing process = enough power
to supply Atlanta for a yr.
% of PET bottle being recycled
2004 2005 2006
22% 23% 34%
 Over 860 million lbs. of recycled PET used in U.S. manufacturing applications include: fiber for carpet,
apparel, strapping, sheet, film, food, non-food containers.
1 Lb. of Fibre = Approximately 10 Bottles
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10. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
2006 RESULTS
 Foss produced 36,500,000 lbs. of fiber.
 This would equal 365,000,000bottles saved from landfills.
 Saving:
o 91,250 barrels of oil
o 64,734 tonnes of emissions
FOSS & ECOSPUN
 10,000 yd2of indoor/outdoor carpet = 100,000bottles
 Truck load of carpet pad (32oz) = 240,000bottles
 Truck load of baled fiber = 450,000bottles
 Truck load of vinyl coated substrates = 87,500bottles
Potential Bottles Used in a Year
 Total bolts sold = 12,925,000bottles
 Total 9”x12” sheets sold = 4,300,000bottles
 Total 3’ x 6’ rolls of automotive carpet = 3,822,000 bottles.
 Total bottles consumed making Foss products for Wal-Mart = 21,047,000
AUTO BUILDS & ECOSPUN
 16 Million Vehicles Manufactured Yearly16 Yearly.
 If the car interiors were made using Ecospun - That would equal 4,192,000,000bottles saved from
landfills
 Saving:
o 1,048,000 barrels of oil
o 743,466 tonnes of emissions
Potential Bottles Used in Auto Industry
 Full trunk/load floor = 76 bottles
 Full seat = 92 bottles
 Floor (face only) = 68 bottles
 Headliner = 15 bottles
 Package trays = 11bottles
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11. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
How is Ecospun Made?
Here’s how the Ecospun process goes:
1. Plastic containers are collected from curb side and community recycling centres.
2. The containers are sorted by type and colour.
3. All labels and caps are stripped off.
4. The plastic containers are then washed.
5. Then they are crushed.
6. Then they are chopped into flake.
7. The flakes are then melted and extruded to create fibre.
8. The fibre is crimped, cut, drawn, then stretched into the desired length (based on its strength), then
baled.
Fortrel® Ecospun™ is a registered trademark of Wellman Inc, and is manufactured by Foss Manufacturing
Company.
ECOSPUN RESIN
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12. RAJEEV SHARAN- NIFT BANGALORE (AP-06)
FIBRE SPINNIN
DRAW LINE
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13. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION FORTRAN Ecospun

14. WHAT IS ECOSPUN USED FOR?
Ecospun, whether by itself or blended, can be used in many products. Here are some examples:
 clothing (eg, vests, jackets, pants)
 blankets
 carpets
 wall coverings
 automobile interiors
 various home furnishings
 fiberfill (eg, filling material for cushions)
 craft felt
BENEFITS
 Made without depleting earth’s natural resource
 Lowers emission
 Keeps bottles out of landfill.
 Bottles FDA approved
 High quality PET resin
 Meets industry requirements for fiber (tenacity, shrinkage, colorfastness, dyeability, UV
stability)
 Can be blended into any PET textile application
LIMITATIONS
 Many people avoid eco-spun because they are made of plastic.
 They are not dye able and are often see through.
 They will fuzz and pill easily.
 When used in wearable’s they are often referred to as itchy and irritating because they do not
“breathe” allowing for air flow and the plastic itself can irritate skin, well that and they are
often see through and shiny when exposed to light which could also be very irritating.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION FORTRAN Ecospun

15. CONCLUSION
Ecospun is a fabric having capacity to keep billions of plastic PET bottles out of the world's
landfills each year. For every one billion plastic bottles created, 18 tons of harmful air emissions
are produced and 2.5 million barrels of oil are used, contributing to acid rain, global warming, and
smog.
Cost is always not much different than original polyester and other synthetic fibres and its return
to the environment makes it very profitable for anyone.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION FORTRAN Ecospun