Years ago fabric and clothing in general was more sustainable. Cotton and wool were fabrics of choice (or lack of) and were produced without chemicals, and time was spent repairing clothes and darning socks when they wore out.
Fabrics began changing in the early 20th century with the introduction of synthetic fabrics such as nylon. Traditional fabrics such as cotton were subject to pesticides and fertilisers. Wool wasn’t immune either as nasties including arsenic, were used in sheep dips for parasite removal. Many of these sites remain hazardous. Chemicals also began creeping into every step of the fabric and clothes manufacture process as chemical dyes and dye carriers became more popular and chemicals were used in the finishing process to make them softer, shrink resistant, crease resistant or to prevent odours. But things now seem to be coming full circle as concerns are raised about our exposure to chemicals and the impact on the environment. As a result organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, which are undeniably better for the environment, are becoming easier to get hold of.
But what do we know about the fabrics typically adorning shop rails? We have attempted to provide a brief comparison of the key materials and impacts associated with some typical fabrics.
| Raw material | Manufacturing process | Waste | |
| Polyester, acrylic and nylon | Petroleum | Energy intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil, antimony and releasing emissions including VOCs, particulate matter and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride. Volatile monomers, solvents and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the wastewater from the polyester manufacturing plants.
When dying polyester, dye carriers are required to help achieve complete dye penetration. Many of these chemicals tend to be toxic in nature and some are carcinogenic. |
Polyester can be recycled, but this degrades the quality and there is a limit to the number of times it can be recycled. Eco-intelligent polyester can be recycled indefinitely |
| Cotton | Cotton crops grown in numerous countries. These require significant volumes of water and pesticides.
Organic cotton is grown without use of synthetic fertilisers, synthetic pesticides and defoliated by natural means. |
Cotton processed to remove seeds (ginning) and traces of honeydew (aphid secretions), and other contaminants.
Chemicals used in pre-treatment, dying and printing. Organic cotton represents less than one per cent of total cotton production. Naturally coloured cotton is also available which can avoid the need to dye. |
100% biodegradable |
| Silk | Silk worms fed on leaves | Silkworms eat leaves and spin themselves cocoons. These cocoons with the worm inside are softened by placing in very hot water. This is followed by boiling, dyeing, weaving or knitting. The impacts depend on the fuels used for the heating process and dyes. Silk fibres absorb dyes readily and natural dyes can be used. | 100% biodegradable |
| Wool | Sheep | Sheep reared for this renewable resource. Depending on farming practices there is the potential for environmental degradation and wool scouring can consume large amounts of water and chemicals. Potential for release of toxins through insect resisting treatments and dying. | Reuseable, recyclable and 100% biodegradable |
| Hemp | Hemp plants | The leaves need to be removed first this is generally done chemically but can be done by hand. The plant fibres are processed to remove the gum and separate the fibres in a process known as retting. This can be done as dew retting (leaving the stalks in the field), water retting, green retting (mechanical) or generally for fabrics chemical retting is used. Hemp has a natural creamy colour. | 100% biodegradable |
| Bamboo | Bamboo | The uses the Moso bamboo species (not the species eaten by pandas). Bamboo fibres are obtained via a chemical process using sodium hydroxide, or mechanically which is more labour intensive. Bamboo is generally blended with another fibre such as spandex or cotton to increase it’s strength. Bamboo is soft and generally does not require ironing. | 100% biodegradable |
| Viscose, acetate and cupro | Chemically treated cellulose, derived from wood or cotton fibres. | Cellulose from wood or cotton fibres is treated with sodium hydroxide, then mixed with carbon disulphide to form cellulose xanthate, which is dissolved in more sodium hydroxide. The resulting viscose is extruded in an acid bath. Cuprammonium rayon is dissolved in copper oxide and ammonia and ‘cupro’ has become a recognised name for some forms of viscose. Viscose fabrics need ironing once they have been washed. | 100% biodegradable |
| Corn based fabrics (Ingeo and Sorona) | Corn | Manufactured from corn starch, which is fermented to generate lactic acid (the basis for a polymer) and transformed into polylactide. This polymer is then extruded to form the fibre Ingeo. Chemical transformation is used but the fibres require up to 50% less fossil resources than resins for traditional synthetic fibres. | 100% biodegradable |
| Wood based fabrics Viscose, Modal and TENCEL (lyocell) | Tencel is the brand name for a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose | Manufactured using non-toxic solvent that is 99% recoverable and recyclable. Bleach is not required. However Tencel doesn’t take dye easily which may mean that it is chemically dyed, plus it can fibrillate when wet if it isn’t treated, and may also be labelled ‘dry clean only’. | Can be recycled and is 100% biodegradable |
I admit, I have not been on this webpage in a long time… however it was another joy to see It is such an important topic and ignored by so many, even professionals. I thank you to help making people more aware of possible issues.Great stuff as usual