ECO-FRIENDLY TEXTILES Suparna M G 1, Rinsey Antony V A 2 1 Student, III Bsc Department of Costume Design and Fashion 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Costume Design and Fashion 1,2 Sri Krishna Arts & Science College, Coimbatore ABSTRACT The evolution of clothing from its fibre stage to fabric requires a lot of processes which are harmful to our environment. So it is very important to make textile industry more sustainable. Now- a- days a wide range of techniques and innovations related to textile production have been developed to save the world from being affected by the hazardous effects of chemicals. Sustainable fashion, also called eco fashion, is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of human impact on the environment and social responsibility. This review presents an overview of the textile industry highlighting eco-friendly fibres, techniques and innovations that are developed to make textile industry more sustainable. Keywords: Eco-Friendly Fibres, Sustainability, Textiles I. INTRODUCTION The textile industry being a very good example for the most advancing and ecologically harmful industry in the world, various innovations are done in order to safeguard our mother earth. The production stages of textile include bleaching, dyeing etc...contribute to a large extend of pollution thus making it important to make it more sustainable. Controlling pollution is as vital as making a product free from the toxic effect [5].So in order to safeguard our environment we must take some preventive measures and technologies that can maintain the balance of our eco system and makes the final product free from toxic effects. Generally there is really no such thing as a 100% eco friendly piece of clothing because all clothing takes water (for the fibres to grow) and energy (to make the fabric and the final garments).so Eco friendly clothing can be termed as a clothing made of natural fibres such as organic cotton and hemp, clothing that has been organically dyed with vegetables or any fabrics that use small amounts of water, energy and chemicals that affect the environment. Natural fibres have intrinsic properties such as mechanical strength, low weight and healthier to the wearer that has made them particularly attractive [1].The word eco is short for ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. Therefore eco friendly (or ecology friendly ) is a term to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment. Think globally, act locally is the slogan of tomorrow for the world textile industry. [2] 67 P a g e
II. ECO-FRIENDLY TEXTILES Any textile product, which is produced in eco-friendly manner and processed under eco-friendly limits, is known as eco friendly textiles. It is also known as sustainable fashion, eco fashion and Ecotech. Materials can be considered as Eco-friendly on the basis of various factors: Renewability of the product Ecological footprint of resources - how much land it takes for the full growth of a product Determining the eco friendliness of a product - amount of chemicals required for the production of products. 2.1 Classification of Eco Friendly Textiles 2.2 Eco-Friendly Fibres 1. BAMBOO - Bamboo is a regenerated cellulosic fibre produced from bamboo pulp. [3] It is a hardy, highly renewable grass which is generally grown with few chemical inputs. The main factor which makes it consider as an eco-friendly fibre is its renewable property. It has natural anti bacterial properties and the fabric breathes. Bamboo has a wider application due to its comfort, soft, lustre and absorbency. Bamboo apparel is crowned as Air Conditioning Dress. [1] 2. ORGANIC COTTON - More than 25 percent of the world s pesticides are used in conventional cotton production whereas Organic cotton is more eco friendly than the traditional method as it uses no pesticides, insecticides during the growing cycle. But it is more labour intensive and furthermore fields must be free of chemicals for three years before the crop can be certified organic.[4]another recent promising trend is the production of coloured cotton or natural dyes which can further reduce the amount of chemicals used. 3. HEMP The most potential eco friendly fibre is hemp. The ecological footprint is considered to be low in hemp fibres when compared to other fibres. It is rapidly renewable, requires little or no pesticides, grows without fertilizer, requires minimum attention and doesn t deplete soil nutrients. So it is easy to harvest. It is a long fibre which is long lasting 68 P a g e
4. SOY CASHMERE/SILK - This fabric is made from soy protein fibre left over after processing soybeans into food. The liquefied proteins are extruded into fibres which are then spun and used like other fibres. The high protein content makes it receptive to natural dyes. So they can create their own colors.[4] 5. WOOL - Wool is renewable, fire-resistant and doesn t need chemical inputs. Organic wool is increasingly becoming available as it is produced using sustainable farming practice. Wool is a very useful textile with many important properties that make it hugely attractive. One of the major benefits of wool is that it can absorb moisture well by drawing moisture into the core of its fibres. A recent innovation in the world of wool is a product created in New Zealand, a place well-known for its sheep, called WoJo. 2.3 Other Eco Friendly Fibres Includes 1. CORN FIBRE - Corn is available in both spun and filament forms. It is derived from naturally occurring plant sugars. It balances strength and resilience with comfort, softness and drape in textiles. Corn also uses no chemical additives or surface treatments and is naturally flame retardant. Corn fibre manufacturers have claimed that these fibres can be used for sportswear, jacket, outer coat, apparels etc. [1] 2. BANANA FIBRE - The use of banana stems as a source of fibre such as cotton and silk is becoming popular now. It is used all over the world for multiple purposes such as making tea bags or sanitary napkins to Japanese yen notes and car tyres. It is also known as musa fibre which is one of the strongest natural fibres. Banana stem, hitherto considered a complete waste, is now is now being made into banana-fibre cloth which comes in differing weights and thicknesses based on what part of the banana stem the fibre was taken from. The innermost sheaths are where the softest fibres are obtained, and the thicker and sturdier fibres come from the outer sheaths. High water absorbing property of this fabric makes this clothing cool to wear.[1] 3. MILK FIBRE - Milk Fibre was firstly introduced in 1930 in Italy & America to compete the wool. It is the new innovative Fibre & a kind of synthetic Fibre made of milk casein Fibre through bio-engineering method. It can also be used to create top-grade underwear, shirts, T shirts, loungewear, etc. It contains seventeen amino acids & natural anti-bacterial rate is above eighty percent. Hence milk fibre has sanitarian function. 4. AYURVASTRA Ayur vastra is a Sanskrit term made up of two words- "AYUR means "health" & "VASTRA" means "Cloth", meaning "life cloth". It is a branch of Ayurveda. Ayur vastra cloth is completely free from synthetic chemicals & toxic substances making this cloth organic, sustainable & biodegradable. Ayur vastra or medical dress is made of 100% pure organic cotton or silk, wool, jute & coir products that have been hand loomed, dyed by using various Ayurveda herbs & have medicinal qualities. Herb dyed organic fabrics act as healing agents or as an absorber through skin. Each fabric is infused with specific herbs that can help treat skin conditions. Herbs used in Ayur vastra are known to cure allergies having anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory properties.ayur vastra is extra smooth & good for transpiration that helps in recovering various diseases. It may help treat a broad range of diseases such as skin infections, diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, hypertension, high blood pressure, asthma & insomnia. 69 P a g e
III. FACTORS CONSTITUTING THE SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES The four main factors are: raw material extraction, textile production, added chemistry and end-of-life. Raw material extraction for example, addresses the land and water used to grow natural fibres like cotton and wool, or the impacts of extracting fossil fuels for synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon. Production considerations include the water and energy. Added chemistries, including dyes, finishes and coatings, may affect the health of textile workers as well as consumers of the final product. Finally, the end-of-life includes textile biodegradability and the reclamation infrastructure required to turn it into new raw material. 3.1 Recent Innovations Of Eco Fabrics SAMATOA/LOTUS FABRIC Fabrics extracted from lotus flower is known as Samatoa. Lotus plant is believed to have healing abilities and wearing a fabric made from lotus fibres is also believed to have the same effects. Lotus plants are pure by virtue, and they radiate this purity through their fibres. By wearing lotus fibre fabrics, the wearer feels calm, peaceful and meditative. It also cures the wearer from headaches, heart ailments, asthma, and lung issues. The fabrics are 100 percent organic, and hence are environmentally friendly. The entire process of fibre extraction, spinning it into yarn and making the fabric is completely handmade making this process time consuming. This disadvantage also limits the quantity of the fabric produced. Stems of the lotus plants are collected, cut, snapped, and twisted to expose its fibres. 70 P a g e
FABRICS FROM FERMENTED WINE - A group of scientists at the University of Western Australia has produced fabric by letting microbes to work on wine. It is produced by adding bacteria called Acetobacter into cheap red wine. The bacteria ferment the alcohol into fibres that float just above the surface. These fibres can be extracted and fashioned into clothing. Since Acetobacter produce vinegar as its end product, the garments have a definite odour. HAGFISH SLIME THREAD These fibres are obtained from the goo attached to a hagfish, an eelshaped bottom-dwelling animal of the deep sea. It is the only known creature to have a skull, but no vertebral column. Scientists have discovered that proteins within this slime have mechanical properties similar to those of spider silk, and can be woven into high-performance bio-materials. COCONA FABRICS - Cocona is a fabric that is developed from fibrous coconut husks that incorporates natural ingredients into polymers. By using activated carbon made from coconut shells, Cocona fabric utilizes natural technology that outperforms other fabrics and yarns. Cocona fibres and yarns can be used in a wide range of knit and woven fabrics as well as non-woven that provide effective evaporative cooling, 71 P a g e
odour adsorption and UV protection. Fabrics made from Cocona yarns and fibres are lightweight, comfortable and retain all of the conventional product features, such as stretch and wash-ability. IV. CONCLUSION So we have discussed about the various eco friendly fibres that are available in the market which are designed for the purpose of reducing the harmful substances used in the textile production. Even though many fabrics are available we can bring out new innovations in the field of eco textiles which protect our environment from further depletion. Fashion is not something that exists only in dresses. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. So let us go green and make fashion more eco friendly. BIBLIOGRAPHY [1]. Benitta Christy P & Dr. Kavitha S, GO-GREEN TEXTILES FOR ENVIRONMENT, Advanced Engineering and Applied Sciences: An International Journal 2014; 4(3): 26-28 [2]. Deo H T, Eco friendly textile production, Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research Vol.26, March June 2001,pp.61-73 [3]. Geetha Margret Soundri, Ecofriendly Antimicrobial Finishing of Textiles Using Natural Extract, Journal of International Academic Research For Multidisciplinary, ISSN: 2320 5083, 2014, Vol 2. [4]. Geetha Margret S, Eco- friendly textiles and clothing, International Journal of Science, Technology and [5]. Poonam Kumari, Saroj S. Jeet Singh and Neelam M. Rose, Eco Textiles: For Sustainable Development, International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 4, April- 2013 1379 ISSN 2229-5518 [6]. Geetha Margret S, Eco- friendly natural dye process for cotton fabric, Solutions to Ecological Challenges: Multidimensional Perspectives, ISBN No: 978-81-926370-2-0, Pg 291-294, Reflection Books [7]. Rinsey Antony V A, Green and Safe Textiles, Solutions to Ecological Challenges: Multidimensional Perspectives, ISBN No: 978-81-926370-2-0, Pg 291-294, Reflection Books. 72 P a g e
[8]. http://fashionarun.page.tl/eco-friendly-textiles.htm [9]. http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6693/ayurvastra-an-eco-friendly-textile 73 P a g e