1. Delia Lee Silva
Year 4, Department of Fashion and Textiles Design
Title
Word count, 2014/15
Supervisor Rachael Grew
Glasgow School of Art
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2. Plan
1. Outline/Chapter Plan
Introduction to the idea of sustainability in textiles, outlining its original meanings of
environmental concerns and further interpretations, taking into account the social and
economic implications. Introduction to the idea of sustainable fibers. The methodology
used is primary readings of texts by Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose, Fashion &
Sustainability – Design for Change ; Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen’s , Shaping
Sustainable Fashion and Kate Fletcher’s Sustainable Fashion and Textiles Design
Journeys as key texts .
Chapter 1 - Analyses traditional processes of the main textile fibers production and
their environmental impact, particularly in the cotton industry.
Chapter 2 - Explores the idea of the material selection as a starting point for change
towards sustainability in the textile industry while investigating both traditional and
innovative fibers
Chapter 3 - Discusses sustainable sourcing as adding value to the product and
providing new directions for the designer to work in sustainable ways for a
sustainable fashion future.
Conclusion -From an array of innovative and conventional fibres being cultivated and
processed in a more sustainable way, there are enough choices today to either
substitute or partially introduce new fibres .
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3. 2. Synopsis
This essay investigates the issues of sustainability in the textile industry in reference
to the material selection for the production of textiles and clothing. It looks particularly
at the sustainability impact of fibers, their characteristics, use, and accessibility in the
market. It refers to the writings of Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose and their views on
fashion and sustainability thinking ; Janet Hethorn, Connie Ulasewicks and Gail
Baugh on sourcing clean and green fiber and Shona Quinn on sustainable sourcing.
The questions it seeks to explore include what is the impact of choosing a fiber to
create sustainable fabrics, what are the fibers available today and what are the fiber
developments that can play a role in sustainable choices in the future?
Chapter 1 outlines the impacts on the environment of conventional production of the
main fibres; chapter 2 looks at the use of new and innovative fibers and processes in
the textile industry and why is this important now, while analyses some case studies
of sustainable yarns in light of technical innovations; chapter 3 reflects on sustainable
sourcing and designer’s role at the sourcing stage. The essay concludes that the
added value of sustainable fibers on the final product is a key decision moving
forward toward a cleaner and more ethical textile industry.
3 – Introduction
This paper questions the importance of choosing sustainable fibers for the production
of textiles and fashion. It analyses the idea of sustainability in the textiles industry and
focus on the choice of material. My discussion within the sustainable production of
textiles refers primarily to the array of sustainable fibers, traditional and new, available
to the textile industry today and subsequently to sustainable design ideas.
The aim of this essay is to investigate the use of sustainable fibers on textile
production and its implications for the environment. The researching methods used
are texts by experts and academics in the field of sustainable fashion and web
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4. sources on organizations and companies involved in sustainable textiles. The key
texts on sustainable fashion and textiles are a book by Kate Fletcher: Sustainable
Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys for her vision on a holistic design solution,
promoting a broad, pluralistic view of sustainable ideas and chapters written by
Shona Quinn and Gail Baugh from the book Sustainable Fashion : Why now? a
conversation about issues, practices and possibilities ,edited by Janet Hethorn and
Connie Ulasewicz. For the research on fibers I used textbooks, online journals, blogs
and web search on a variety of projects involving the use of sustainable fibres.
It is critical to consider environmental and social impacts of textile production, I
question the impact of the use of sustainable fibers. The idea of natural fibers being
seen as good fibers for using renewable source and synthetic fibers seen as bad,
derived from oil (a non renewable source), is changing. Natural fibers such as cotton,
hemp, linen, wool and silk have been used in traditional textile for a long time. The
development of processing technologies made it possible to use them commercially
but some of these processes are not environmental friendly, the major environmental
impact is the extensive water usage. At the same time man-made fabrics are using
advanced technology and new ways of quality control that are improving their
environmental credentials.
Innovative ideas are raising awareness of sustainable textiles solutions. Further, this
essay will investigate innovative methods on fiber and yarn production and analysis
their promising scenarios for a future textile and fashion industry. Yarns made of
marine plastic debris, soya, corn starch, bamboo, peace-silk, organic cotton and
many others have the potential of change towards sustainability.
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5. Chapter 1
“ Sustainability in fashion and textiles fosters ecological integrity,
social quality and human flourishing through products, action,
relationships and practices of use” – Kate Fletcher1
This essay approaches sustainability in a holistic manner, proclaiming that
sustainability is dependent on how the parts work together, not on how they work in
isolation. It refers to what is know as “Brundtland Report”, a UN World Summit Report
from 1987 that defines sustainable development as “ development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs “2. The production of sustainable fashion takes into account that in
developing and using a product there must be no harm done to people or the planet
while also enhances the well being of the people who interact with it and the
environment that sustains that development and use. It has the challenge of
integrating human well-being and natural integrity. Is sustainability in fashion an
utopical idea when put together the different pace of the aspects involved?
Sustainability is about longevity and fashion is about change but in so being, it
provides an opportunity of awareness for sustainability, it can be a tool to
communicate ideas and concepts. While globalization has opened international
communication channels that allow us to question the effects of textile and clothing
production today in the lives of people and the planet, it leaves it clear the necessity
for change in the way textile is manufactured today: where the lowest wages are paid
and there are little concerns with air and water pollution created by the production of
1 kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textile, Design Journeys (London: Earthscan, 2014),
XVIII
2 UN Documents World Commission on Environmental and Development ( WCED), Our
common future:Towards Sustainable Development 1987.< www.un-documents.net/ocf-
02.htm> accesssed November 03, 2014
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6. fabrics. Sustainability is the textile sector biggest challenge, it invites changes at the
level of detail, fibers and process, to the whole level of business models and social
values.
Fibre is the basic building block of fabric, so it is essential that designers are
knowledgeable and can critically evaluate the environmental and social impact of the
processes used to grow and manufacture each fibre and yarn, including the dyes and
finishing processes used to transform them into fabrics.
Fibres are divided in two major groups, natural fibers and manufactured fibers. This
session will analyse some of the more important fibres for the textile industry today.
Table 1 Textile fibre types3
3 Table 1. Textile fibre types. Source: Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and
Textiles: Design Journeys,(Oxon: Routhedge 2014), 10.
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7. Table 2 World fibre production in 2010 (Million tons)4
Natural Fibers
Cotton
From the natural fibers, cotton is the most produced and used by the textile industry.
There has been an increase in productivity in the cotton crop in the last 80 years, due
to the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides, usually highly toxic. The production
output during this period has tripled while the area used for cotton growing did not
change significantly.5 This causes a hugely negative impact on global health and
4 Table 2 . World Fiber Production in 2010. Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and
Textiles: Design Journeys, (Oxon: Routhedge 2014), p.10.
5 Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles – Design Journeys , p.13.
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8. takes an enormous and devastating tool on the earth’s air, water and soil.
Conventional cotton growing is sometimes highly irrigated and can use up to 3800
l/kg of cotton.6 The quantity of water usage depends on agricultural practices and
climate: with rain fed cultivation, the problems related to water use are more due to
changing the access to water (through wells and infrastructure) and water
contamination (through pesticides and fertilizers). The alternatives to conventional
cotton production are organically grown cotton; low-chemical cotton; drip-irrigated
cotton and substitute fibers like hemp or flax.
When comparing the processes involved in conventional cotton and organic cotton,
all the stages carries important differences. Conventional cotton is one of the most
pesticide-intensive crops and it is estimated that cotton is cultivated in just 2.4% of the
world’s arable land but accounts for 24% of the world’s insecticide market and 11% of
the world’s pesticides sales.7 Pesticides used by farmers kill the cotton pests but also
kills beneficial insects as ladybirds and wasps and the imbalance created causes
greater problems, when more toxic chemicals must be used. Also the way the cotton
industry developed, replacing many cotton varieties with only one and planting the
same variety in large areas (a practice know as monoculture) leaves the crop
considerable more prone to pests and diseases. This is a serious problem for the
environment and human health. Pesticides and synthetic fertilizers cause
groundwater and surface water contamination not only polluting the water we drink
but also affecting fish, birds and wildlife. In contrast, organic cotton farming works with
nature, being principally based on biological rather than chemical based methods of
growing. Managing and preventing weeds and insects instead of eliminating them is
one of the ways organic cotton farmers use to reduce the environmental damage of
the crop. Keeping he soil healthy and productive through crop rotation, intercropping,
compost, and efficient nutrient recycling encourages biological diversity and
eliminates the use of heavy chemicals. When harvesting conventional cotton, the use
of herbicides used to defoliate the plant to make picking easier, continue to pollute
6 Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles – Design Journeys , p.13.
7 Michael Lackman, ‘Cotton: Facts Behind the Fiber’ in Organicclothing.blogs.com. URL:
http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/07/cotton-facts-be.htlm.(12/11/14)
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9. ground water and rivers with potentially carcinogenic compounds . Instead, organic
cotton is often hand picked, without the use of defoliants, machinery, and chemicals.
The consequent processes involved in cotton producing as the cleaning and
manufacturing (spinning, weaving, dying and finishing) also differs in both
conventional and organic cotton. While conventional one continues to use toxic
chemicals to produce the soft fiber consumer wants, adding petroleum scours, silicon
waxes, formaldehydes, anti-wrinkling agents and chlorine bleaches at the
manufacturing and finishing stages, organically grow cotton does not. Natural
alternatives such as natural spinning oils that biodegrade easily, the use of hydrogen
peroxide for bleaching, low-impact dyes and earth clays for coloration and natural
vegetable and mineral inks and binders to print on the fabric, are all used to reduce
and eliminate the toxic consequences of the conventional cotton fabric manufacturing.
Wool
Wool is a unique natural fibre, a protein fibre formed in the skin of sheep that every
year will produce a new fleece. It has a number of benefits: it is a natural insulator,
warm in the winter and cool in the summer, water repellent, naturally absorbent with
natural mildew and mold resistance. Wool is durable, fire retardant, naturally wrinkle
resistant, non-allergenic, renewable and sustainable. But, as with cotton, there are
dangers to the environment in conventional wool fabric manufacturing. This typically
employs harsh scouring agents and bleaches to clean and whiten the wool, harsh
chemical dyes that frequently use heavy metals such as chrome, copper and zinc,
wool scouring is responsible for a substantial energy input in wool production.
Pesticides are also used in the cultivation of wool fibres in conventional wool
production, although in much less quantity than used for cotton fiber. Sheep are
treated for infections and parasites in a pesticide bath. Organophosphates, for
example, was largely used in the UK to treat sheep scab and are linked to severe
nerve damage in humans, even low-dose exposure over the long term has been
linked with reduced nerve fiber function. To treat internal parasitic worms, farmers use
drugs and antibiotic feed additives are given to promote slightly faster growth. There
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10. are evidence suggesting that widespread use of agricultural antibiotics is
contaminating surface waters and groundwater.
Silk
Silk is produced from the chrysalis of silkworms , cultivated under controlled air and
climate conditions, that diet exclusively in mulberry leaves. Mulberry leaves are a
renewable and sustainable crop as the trees produce year after year. Although some
fertilizers and pesticides are used they are far less than in cotton, due to the
sensibility of the worms to chemicals. But there is an ethical problem with silk
production: to not damage the silk fillament, silk farmers kills the moths before they
emerge from the cocoon, by tossing the cocoons into boiling water where they are
unraveled and wound around a spool. In order to make one pound of the finest silk,
2600 silkworms are killed. 8 For the more ethical option , some silk producers allow
the moths to emerge from the cocoon and then salvage the damaged cocoons that
are then degummed and spun as other fibres such as cotton and hemp rather been
reeled into spools of one continuous silk strand. This is know as peace silk or
vegetarian silk because of the more humane way of cultivation of these silk cocoons.
Other alternative choices are silk that is degummed using efficient water protocols,
organic silk and specify wild silk.
Flax
Flax or linen commonly uses agricultural chemicals in its production, particularly
fertilizers and herbicides. This changes if water is available, with the fine quality fibers
requiring a mild and moist climate and not depending on extensive soil irrigation,
lowering the environmental impact of water consumption and pollution.
8 Michael Lackman, ‘Raw and Organic Silk : Facts behind the Fibers’ in
OrganicClothing.blogs.com <organicclothing.com/myblog/2007/03/raw_organic_sil.html>
[Accessed 12/11/ 2014]
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11. Manufactured fibres
Manufactured fibres are divided in two main categories:
1. Fiber produced using plant-based raw material: Viscose, lyoccell rayons and
acetate fibers.
Viscose is a cellulosic fibre formed from natural polymers that uses chemicals to
dissolve and transform them in a continuous filament. Sources of cellulose are fast
growing soft woods such as beech tree and woody bamboo grass. The production of
viscose has significant environmental implications, as it uses chlorine containing
bleaches and zinc sulphate along other chemicals to dissolve the fiber. It generates
air and water pollution with heavy chemicals, causing many environmental problems if
discharged untreated. The benefits of deriving cellulose from rapid regenerating raw
material as bamboo is small when considering the entire production process and its
fragile sustainable credentials.. Lyoccell rayon is the first fibre to only use trees that
are grow for fiber production. It uses a closed, recycled production system, using the
same chemicals again in further Lyocell production and keeping toxic chemicals out
of the water supply.
Alternatives are viscose made from wood from sustainably managed forests, viscose
produced without chlorine-containing bleach, which avoids catalytic agents containing
cobalt or manganese, and that uses purification processes before discharging waste
into the ambient.
2 – Fibre produced using petroleum-based raw material: Nylon, polyester, acrylic,
olefin and spandex
Polyester is a important fibre for the textile industry, it’s demand have doubled over
the past 15 years and now it has overtaken cotton as the most produced fibre in the
world. 9It is made from oil, a non-renewable, expensive and difficult to access
resource. Polyester production main impact came from the political, social and
9 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. pp.10
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12. pollution effects of the petrochemical industry. Petroleum is not only the source of the
fibre, the fossil is also used to generate the energy required for the production. The
water usage is lower than for natural fibres and the production process can consume
small quantities of water or no water. In terms of air and water emissions, there is a
potential of causing environmental damage if discharged untreated, including heavy
metal cobalt, manganese salts , antimony oxide, and others.
Nylon (or polyamide) fibres are also made from petrochemicals and are affected by
the same social political and environmental problems associated with the
petrochemical industry. The producing of the polymer is highly energy consuming: to
produce I kg of fabric consumes 150MJ of energy (as compared with 109 MJ per kg
for polyester and 50 MJ per kg for cotton).10
Chapter 2
Most designers choose fabrics based on their aesthetics considerations, not on their
positive environmental choices and it is left to the production teams to source and
implement their ideas. It is time for the decision makers in the fashion industry (e.g.
designers, merchandisers, and liders of corporations) to reconsider their fabric
choices first for their environmental and social impacts and second for their aesthetics
and performance. Designers and merchandisers choose fibre from the available
choices but we question if these choices are appropriate today.
Consumers are putting increasing pressure on the textile and fashion industry to take
responsibility for the wasteful consume of raw material and pollution generated by
fibre production and the social costs involved in it. The environmental and social
impact of fiber and textile production are more visual now and “clean and green”
fibres became more popular. The fashion industry starts to acknowledge the effects of
natural fibre and manufactured fibre production. The reduction of the global oil supply,
which is used to produce the basic component of polyester, is a real fact and fibre
10 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. pp.17
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13. suppliers will have to react to the shrinking of raw material suppy of this popular fibre.
In addition to that there is the pressure of increasing fiber production to meet the
apparel needs of an increasing global population.
In this chapter we consider the choice of materials as the starting point for change. It
is important to recognize the complexity and interconnected resource flows in textile
production today. It reveals the need to build expertise with a selection of more
sustainable fibres, chosen for fitting product and user. There are a variety of new
ideas for fibres emerging in the textile industry that minimize the environmental
impact and expand raw materials fibre supply.The industry is turning towards these
fibres , that are both easily renewable and have fewer toxins.
Below is a review of some of the fibres that are gaining recognition:
Organic Cotton
When cultivating organic cotton the toxicity of the product is reduced in 93 per cent
when comparing to conventionally growth cotton.11 This is due to the use of minimal
chemicals changing radically the toxicity profile of the fibre.This system substitutes
synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators or defoliantes for natural and
organic methods of control pests, weeds and diseases. Attention is paid to the use of
local varieties, mechanical and manual weed control and soil improvement though
crop rotation. Organic cotton has also a strong social aspect, as many of the
producers are protect by Fair Trade and ethical productions principles.
The choice of using organic cotton by companies is a difficult one.The productivity of
organic production is usually less than for conventional one by up to 50 per cent 12
raising the question on how sustainable is its future if more land (of which there is a
finite amount) is needed for fibre cultivation in order to meet increasing demand. To
be classified as organic there is the need of meeting organic standards defined by the
USDA Organic Foods Production Act from 1990, which provides strict guidelines for
11 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 27
12 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 29
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14. organic food production and classification. Though many apparel companies attempt
to use organic cotton, the cost and limited quantity available prevent the company
from adopting this fiber for all its products. Figures from 2010-2011 shows that
organic cotton makes up a small 0.7 per cent of the total cotton market and over two
thirds of organic cotton is produced in India. 13
Low-chemical cotton
Since organic fiber is not food, we ask about the necessity of producing fiber to the
standards of food and be classified as organic. There are other methods other than
organic, of reducing the use of chemicals in cotton production, such as a biological
integrated pest management (IPM) and the introduction of genetic modified (GM)
varieties. A low-chemical cotton is the aim of IPM, that brings more farmers and more
hectares into chemically reducing programmes, eliminating problems across large
number of farms instead of only a few. Genetic modified crops are a technological
solution for chemical reduction, the main varieties of GM cotton assist with pest
management or are tolerant to herbicides. For farmers the benefits of GM varieties
include reduced pesticide use, an equal or higher production; no impact on fiber
quality and increased income from less expenditure in pesticides. For the
environment, the benefits came from less toxic chemicals in air and water; the low
tillage of the soil result in less particulate matter in the air and greater water retention,
due to less compacted soil.There are however many concerns about GM crops. While
pesticide use was reduced during he first three years after herbicide-tolerant GM
crops were commercialized, now it is considered higher than the conventional ones.
This is due to change in weed tolerance to high dose of herbicides and the necessity
for farmers to spread more. Other concern is with privatization of seed research, with
only few companies controlling half of the seeds industry. Low-chemical cotton is an
alternative to the more costly and less available organically grown cotton fibre.
13 Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, p.29
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15. Organic wool
Alternative to conventional wool manufacturing is organic wool. This wool is from
sheep that have been raised without synthetic or harmful chemicals under health,
natural and responsible animal husbandry. Organic wool yarn is not chemically
treated during the entire production process, it can be used by those who suffers from
chemical sensitivity when in contact with conventional grow wool.
Wool production overall use relatively low energy. When comparing to other fibres, it
requires nearly three time less energy than polyester and four to five time less energy
than synthetic fibres as nylon or acrylic.14
While the market for organic wool is still small, it is growing. In the UK, organically
grow wool fibre can now be accredited as fully organic product.15
Hemp and other bast fibres (Flax, Jute and Kenaf)
Hemp plant grows quicky, naturally controls pests and is mildew resistant. It grows
easily in many climates, has a high yeld and requires less water per acre than
cotton.16 Its strong roots helps to control soil erosion, improving the soil for other
crops as well. The hemp production per hectare is superior than for cotton, flax and
wool and averages between 1200-2000 kg per hectare against 300-1100 kg per
hectare for cotton and 800-1150 kg per hectare for flax.17 Hemp can also be used in
the pulp and paper industry as a replacement for wood. Because hemp is extract from
the plant cannabis sativa (with its narcotic properties) there are restrictions to the
cultivation of hemp in many countries while there are laws in numerous others that
14 Kate Fletcher,Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, p 15
15 Kate Fletcher,Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, p 34
16 Gail Baugh, ‘Fibers: Clean and Green Fiber Options’. in Sustainable Fashion: Why Now? , ed.
by Janet Hethorn and Connie Ulasewicz (New York: Fairchild Books Inc., p 337
17 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 34
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16. allow hemp production and export of hemp fabric. The environmental problems
arising from its production are the same as for flax fiber (i.e. by retting) that involves
degumimng fibres from the stalk by placing small bundles of the stalk in water tanks,
retting ponds or running river water while the stalk rots and the fibres are separated
from the woody core. The nutrients resulting from the decaying of the plant is highly
polluting to the water. Another factor to consider is that optimum quality of fibre is
achieved by using traditional hand methods of harvesting and processing so high
labour costs make this uneconomic in many countries. New methods are been tried to
improve fiber quality including enzyme retting and steam explosion.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a naturally fast growing grass that grow without any herbicides, fertilizers
or pesticides and can be cut many times a year. It has the same desirable strength
and absorvent characteristics from cotton but it is faster drying than cotton, making it
a good choice for use in interior design. Growing bamboo improves soil quality due to
its extensive root system and bamboo clothing are entirely biodegradable.The
majority of the bamboo produced today uses strong chemicals solvents, raising
environmental concerns. This type of fibre is know as bamboo viscose and although it
is a good fibre choice it can be a much more sustainable one. Bamboo fibre can be
made mechanically by crushing the bamboo, applying natural enzymes and then
combing out and spinning the natural fibres.
Bamboo factories helps to reduce greenhouse gases, with the bamboo plant
absorbing about 5 times the amount of carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas,
and produces 35% more oxygen than a similar type of tree.18
The Bamboo Yarn Project is a organization with the mission of making mechanically
processed bamboo yarn eco-friendly, accessible and affordable, recognizing the
potential of the yarn to be a very sustainable one. It developed a network of people
interested in this cause, with expertise and interest in solving this challenge and are
currently determining best practices for making mechanically processed bamboo yarn
18 The Bamboo Yarn Project < http://sites.google.com/a/wodden-sips.com/the-bamboo-yarn-project/
home> Accessed 13/11/2014
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17. and testing how to make it commercially viable.
Protein Material
Protein material has become a viable renewable raw material. The process of
transforming it into fibers is similar to the regenerating cellullosic fibre, meaning that
protein material is added to a chemical solution. Examples came from vegetable
source as soybean, or animal source as cow’s milk and chicken feathers. Soy is
protein and the fiber is made using the by-product of tofu production as its raw
source. Recent researches in USA and China helped to overcome previous
technology difficulties in tofu production and the resulting fibre has attractive lustre,
similar to silk and is extremely soft, it has been seen as a cashmere or rayon
substitute.19. The developments led to the commercial production of soybean involve
bioengineering techniques and the agents involved on its production are non toxic.
Soybean fiber is now seen as substitute for petrochemical-based synthetics and also
for cashmere, and is being called as ‘vegetable cashmere’. The major environmental
problem with soybean cultivation is that commercial and large scale farming are
water, fertilizer and pesticide intensive and is commonly reliant on GM technology.
There is now an organic certification for soy and currently is around 30 per cent more
expensive than organic cotton.20
Lyocell
Lyocell is a cellulosic fibre made from wood pulp, It is claimed to be sustainable for
using renewable resources as its raw materials, usually eucalyptus. The wood pulp is
added to a solvent (amine oxide), spun into fibers that are then washed to extract the
solvent from it. Instead of water evaporation, in Lyocell process the manufacturer is
19 Gail Baugh, ‘Fibers: Clean and Green Fiber Options’. in Sustainable Fashion: Why Now? , ed.
by Janet Hethorn and Connie Ulasewicz (New York: Fairchild Books Inc), p. 347
20 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 41
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18. able to recover 99.5 per cent of the solvent, purify it and recycle back into the main
process.21. Eucaliptus is a fast growing tree, reaching maturity in seven years and can
be sourced from fully accredited, sustainably managed forests. Other environmental
advantages are the no need of bleaching processes as the fiber is already very clean;
less chemicals, water and energy in the dyeing process, lower laundering
temperature required and is fully biodegradable. Authough Lyocell production uses
few other resources, the energy used is very high and manufactures have a challenge
on that aspect. There is also an aesthetic problem with the resulting fibre, it has a
tendency when in the wet state to crease and to fibrillation, when small fibre-like
structures peel away from the main body of the fibre but remain attached.
Developments using enzymes and resins to prevent this are starting to address this
issue but, as in all similar processes, there is energy and chemical input and produce
waste and emissions.
Marine plastic yarn
Marine plastic yarn is a new development by Bionic Yarn in conjunction with The
Vortex Project, a non-profit initiative founded in 2103 by Bionic, Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society , and Parsley – for the Oceans. The initiative has as key
objective: to save as many animals as possible by cleaning off plastic from the ocean
and shores. 22 The plastic is kept in use with the plastic trash being recycled and
transformed into upcycled production materials using innovative technologies. These
products are a way of advertising for the cause of marine plastic debris and its long
list of serious problems to environment and marine life, with recent studies indicating
that at least 40 million pounds of plastic has accumulated and is floating in the north
pacific ocean alone. 23 In 2014 The Vortex Project announced their first collaboration
supporting the cause. : dennin brand G-star Raw partners up with Bionic Yarn to
present a collection made from recycled plastic from the oceans - Raw for the
21 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 40
22 The Vortex Project www.parley.tv/thevortexproject/#vortex2 (Accessed 15/11/2014)
23 The Vortex Project www.parley.tv/thevortexproject/#vortex1 (Accessed 15/11/2014)
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19. Oceans. This is not an ordinary yarn, it uses a unique HLX system that achieves a
yarn with durability and quality, contained of 40 per cent recycled plastic, 15 per cent
high tenacity or stretch filament core and 45 per cent natural or synthetic fiber helix.
The outer helix can be customized according to functional and aesthetic requirement,
and can be made of organic or synthetic fibres, as cotton for dennin and wool for suit
fabrics. 24
24 Bionic Yarn, ‘The Yarn’ www.bionicyarn.com/hlx/ (Accessed 15/11/2014)
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21. Chapter 3
As we’ve seen, and fashion industry’s future will depend on how successufull we are
on reducing the environmental and social burden of textiles, not only on its production
but all its lifecycle. At its starting point it involves how we manage to move away from
the dependency of few fibres and build a strategy of material diversity. The idea is to
replace some of the dominant fibres with low environmental impact ones, or some
with rich cultural traditions. These innovative fibres will not find their position in
established textile markets in a short term. They still have small volumes produced,
their cultivating and processing technologies are still in development and their long
term impact untested, but they can play a role in product development and promote
awareness about the necessary shift in consumption away from quantity and towards
quality.
During the Sustainable Brands Conference 2014 in London, a group of diverse
leaders, designers, innovators and communicators participated on a series of debates
to discuss effective and proven ways to embede sustainability in the core of a
company, showing the commitment of some companies with the issue. For a
company to be able to link sustainability to brand identity, the sustainable sourcing
team has to think across all the supply chain. This can be challenging but can also
simplify sourcing strategies while adding value to the brand. Fashion executives who
want to incorporate sustainability in their decision making needs to fully understand
where the fibre came from and how it is produced. A sustainable executive is aware
of customer’s needs and suppliers capabilities but, as he views the garment in a
holistic way, he considers all the aspects of its life cycle. This includes raw material
extraction, manufacturing, consumer use and reuse and recyclability or
compostability.
The designer has an important role in sustainable choices as is expected to led the
development of collections from the design stage through the sampling stage and will
often be accountable for key decisions during the process. Engaging the designer in
sustainable ideas allows the company to filter toxic compounds that might be used in
the product from the start and incorporate greener solutions from the stage of product
creation. Designers play an important role in the development of textile and fashion
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22. products and can lead the selection of materials and processes used within the
production process. Adding fiber choice to the decision-making process is a direction
into a clear environment and since the fashion business is global it has the potential
of a positive influence worldwide.
Sustainable sourcing is complex and ever increasingly process that envolves a
journey towards innovative ways of making, use and recycling clothing but it can add
value by creating a differential product at the end. It require a change of strategy,
where it is not about getting the lowest-priced garment on the sales floor fast but
about how retailers make profit with smarter sustainable strategies. Rethinking
Capital is a forum for debates on capital markets working with The Forum for the
Future, that when examining the failure of capital markets and the crisis that lead to
the worst global recession in 80 years, identified a need for companies to explore
sustainable growth and stimulate investment in low-carbon, resource-efficient assets
as important areas to create sustainable financial markets, laying the foundation for
future success . Sustainability is a long term strategic issue and companies that find
ways to make their products more sustainable will have a strategic advantage. The
debate into the need of a more sustainable textile industry is not going away and
customers, regulators, shareholders and employees are demanding companies to
address sustainable issues now.
Conclusion
Natural and man-made fibres are making a concerted effort to improve their
environmental impact. The scale of the problem shows that individually none of these
fibre developments will make the changes necessary to achieve a real difference.
What is needed is to couple these developments with individual and collective
responsibility and action. Designers and merchandisers have to make it their priority
to ask important questions when they choose fabric: is natural fiber important? If so,
can the chemical-free fibre as opposed to organic fibres be used, or maybe a less
know natural fibre? What are the new developments in manufactured fibres or the
improvements in more conventional fibres? The fashion industry previously focused
22
23. on pure aesthetics, must now include on its standards an environmental sensitivity.
From the new fibre information that we have seen in this paper, we conclude that
there are many options available to the fashion and textile industry to choose from,
each one with different challenges but even questioning about them brings change.
When we review our fibre choices it is evident that organic fibre, seen a solution to
the problems of chemical pollution in cotton, cannot fulfill the demand for fibre due to
its high costs and slow production. But there are alternative fibres for cotton that have
the same characteristics to it. These are naturally occurring fibres and although
production is not enough to replace all the cotton fibre production, there is enough
production to offer alternative choices. For a successful future, the textile industry
will have to follow a strategy of materials diversity, when one substitute dominant
high -impact fibres as cotton and polyester with alternatives lower-impact ones as
organic cotton, hemp, mechanically processed bamboo, lyocell and wool and, along
that, incentive the development of better practices in the production of conventional
fibres. As our understanding of the environment and our impact on it grows so does
our response, how we act individually and collectivellly is our challenge and
responsibility.
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and Textiles: Design Journeys,(Oxon: Routhedge 2014), 10.
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