The textile industry has been an ongoing evolutionary industry since the dawn of Human civilization. The Textile industry is well known for consuming large amount of energy, water and natural resources. While the industry is very important to sustain our daily life, it’s also very important to spread some thought over the impact of the industry on our planet as well. Every industry has an impact on our environment and the textile industry is forced to take the path of sustainability due to the high impact on environment.
Sustainable home textiles are materials which can be used which do not harm the environment. Every input and output matters to create the final product, nothing is to be wasted and it has to be used within the industry for other products. The materials used, processes involved, quality of life led by labourers and the afterlife of the product are to be considered when we think about sustainability.
One way to ensure a more mindful approach is to look for sustainably made home products. As many popular fabrics used by fast fashion brands are hidden with way too many chemicals and use up a large number of natural resources, sustainable fabrics are best for our health as well as the planet. Sustainable fabrics are more durable as compared to synthetic fabric. Let’s start by throwing shade on some home textiles. Curtains are used in practically every household yet we don’t think about it much, but they have their own purpose. However, the synthetic materials that many curtains are made of has a heavy impact on our environment. Synthetic fibres such as nylon, rayon, and polyester is not biodegradable, many curtains are made of these materials.
Essentially, we should look for organic and eco-friendly materials, Cotton, wool, Hemp, Linen are all good choice when selecting products.
Wool is a great fabric and a good choice as it also keeps the house warm during winter, wool curtains can be used in cold climate areas.
Silk is also a good choice but can be a tad bit expensive however can provide an authentic & aesthetic charm.
Cotton is one of the most common and most used fabrics, but growing cotton can be very problematic as conventional cotton requires a lot of chemical pesticide.
Organic cotton is a better and environment-friendly option in place of traditionally grown cotton. Organic cotton uses all the organic fertilizers, pesticides, if needed are organic. This is done to aim for better soil health and to produce organic cotton.
One another alternative is recycled fabrics. Recycled fabrics are made from scraps of fabrics converted into fibres and then again converted into yarns and fabrics according to end use. Recycled fibres have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of producing textiles to a large extent because it takes use of wasted fabrics, which helps reduce the landfill load.
Linen is also a natural fibre which has been around from very long. It is extracted from the stalks of the flax plant. Linen requires very minimal water and pesticides, and even grows in poor-quality soil. Plus, nothing is wasted as every part of the plant is used. Linen is naturally very strong and most resistant among other materials. Linen is a natural fibre, hence good to the planet. It produces strong fibres which can withstand high temperatures and adverse conditions.
Some examples of sustainable eco-friendly fibres are Bamboo, Chitin, Fish Skin Leather, Lotus Flower Fabric, Byssus, Banana Fibre, Milk Fabric, Nettle Fabric and Pineapple silk
In India, pineapple is a commonly used fruit. Pina is a textile material we get after processing pineapple leaves, it is known to have cooling properties and good dyeability.
Fashion is all about innovation, the industry is on its toes to create new sustainable fabrics. Its all about the choices in materials and in production processes. The production process, from manufacturing fibre to finished good poses great risk to the environment. Production and processing of sustainable textiles helps to reduce the negative impacts to the environment, New sustainable solutions need to be explored to meet the growing demand of sustainable textiles.
For Example, for leather production, using enzyme effectively removes the grease and is a sustainable alternative to chemicals used. This method can effectively remove large amount of fat, it can save a lot of energy and time, rather than using harmful solvents.
The ecological effects of the textile business have driven all the huge organizations to change their arrangements and incorporate sustainability as their centre idea. A lot of fashion and retail brands have demonstrated that natural garments and textile is a beneficial business. These days, organizations that will not embrace sustainable methodology are most likely off guard all things considered.
It is a proven fact that consumer awareness will play an important role in the growth of sustainable home textile industry in future. We can adapt to sustainable lifestyle only when we change some small things that we do.
To sum it up, to maintain a good relation with our planet we need to keep in mind the following things.
- Minimize the use of materials whenever necessary.
- Use of materials and resources with minimal environmental impact.
- Producing lesser waste and keeping a check on the pollution.
- Reducing the ecological impact caused by distribution
- To make reuse and recycle materials
Reference:
Fibre2Fashion.com
Goodonyou.eco
Sustainablejungle.com
Article By:
Ragini Gupta
