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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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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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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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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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), XVIII2 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 1515 Kate Fletcher,Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, p 3416 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 33717 Kate Flecher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Jouneys. p 34

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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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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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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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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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25

Figure 3 - Bionic Yarn Manufacturing

25 Bionic Yarn ‘Material science’ <www.bionicyarn.com/manufacturing-process/>

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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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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

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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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List of Tables and Illustrations

1. Kate Fletcher: Textile fibre types. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys,(Oxon: Routhedge 2014), 12.

2. Kate Fletcher: World Fibre Production in 2010 (Million tons). Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys,(Oxon: Routhedge 2014), 10.

3. Bionic Yarn Manufacture Bionic Yarn ‘Material science’ <www.bionicyarn.com/manufacturing-process/>

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