The textile industry is one of the largest industries in the world, meaning all its impacts – for good or ill – are truly global in nature. When it comes to environmental footprint, the textile industry historically has been far from sustainable, requiring massive amounts of water and energy for production, as well as complex transportation networks to ship finished products from one end of the globe to the other.
Fortunately, unsustainability isn’t baked into textile manufacturers’ business models. The future of the textile industry doesn’t have to be one of environmental degradation. Instead, conscientious textile producers can be leaders that reshape the industry toward a greener and more sustainable future. Here’s how some are already changing the industry and how a few materials in particular can contribute to a more environmentally-friendly textile industry.
What is sustainability?
The term sustainability is common these days, from corporate social responsibility initiatives to individuals trying to balance their lifestyles with the environment. But the word holds a precise meaning for people and businesses that often eludes us in its common usage. The term sustainability doesn’t just refer to practices that protect our environment and health. Rather, it refers to processes that which can be maintained at the same rate both now and in the future.
The key detail there is that sustainability begins from the ground up, enabling processes to avoid depleting the raw resources required to the point that the ecology is thrown out of balance. Of course, these resources are different for every industry. In the textile industry, there are several resources that come in high demand that present significant sustainability challenges.
Why is sustainability needed in the textile industry?
One of the chief natural resources required for the textile industry is water. The textile industry has historically consumed massive amounts of water. Moreover, produces of textiles tend to be leading industrial polluters of fresh water sources. The textile industry relies on tens of thousands of chemicals to dye and print material, many of which remain in wastewater that is released back into the local watershed.
In addition to water consumption and pollution, the textile industry also requires high levels of energy consumption to operate. Textile industry operations tend to be inefficient in their use of energy, which is required through virtually all aspects of production, including weaving, spinning, chemical processing, heating, and drying. It is estimated that global annual production of textile products requires more than 1,074 billion kWh of electricity and 6 to 9 trillion liters of water.
The consumption of water and energy during production is not where the environmental impact of the textile industry ends; there is also the distribution end of the industry to consider. Textile manufacturers need wide open spaces and significant amounts of labor to operate, generally placing their facilities in rural areas far from urban centers. This means it is necessary to haul finished products long distances to bring them to market. In many cases, textile products are moved internationally from low-income countries where they are manufactured to high-income countries for sale to consumers. This transportation results in significant carbon emissions from trucks, ships, and airplanes.
Finally, packaging for textile products can create an additional environmental liability. Many textile products are packed in plastic or cotton. Plastic, of course, is not a biodegradable material, while cotton requires intensive water and energy to cultivate itself. While packaging is seemingly less severe a consideration as water consumption, energy consumption, and distribution logistics, spread across billions of textile products annually the impact of non-biodegradable packaging can add up quickly.
Sustainability efforts in the textile industry
While these challenges are indeed significant, that is not to say that many in the textile industry haven’t taken steps to reduce their environmental impact. And it’s not just small producers who are looking to change the way they do things; big brands are getting in on the sustainability movement as well.
For example, H&M, a Swedish retailer, launched its “Conscious Initiative” to collect old or unwanted clothes for reuse in the production process. H&M will take consumers’ unwanted or damaged textile products and repurpose the material, keeping them out of landfills and reducing the need for new raw materials.
Another example of a step toward sustainability is denim manufacturer Levi’s, which now incorporates recycled plastics in the production of their denim jeans. Not only does this practice cut down on other materials that would be required instead of the recycled plastics, it keeps those plastics out of landfills and reduces waste.
While recycling has entered the textile industry in a big way as manufacturers and retailers become more conscious about their ecological footprint, there remain significant challenges in greening the industry. While refining processes and recycling materials is important, starting with the production of less resource-intensive fabrics or more durable products that last longer is the best way to move the needle.
Examples of sustainable textiles
The water and energy demands of the textile industry are largely driven by the raw resources used to create certain fabrics. Cotton, for example, demands a lot of water and space to grow, and ravages the soil upon which it is cultivated. Other resources, which can be used to create different types of fabrics, have less of an environmental impact and, in some cases, even offer significant benefits. Here’s a look at some textiles that could contribute to a sustainability revolution in the global textile industry.
Lyocell
Lyocell is a biodegradable fabric manufactured from treated wood pulp. It is manufactured in a closed-loop system, which recaptures and reuses nearly all chemicals required for the treatment of the wood pulp. Further, it requires significantly less water and energy to produce Lyocell textiles than traditional products based on materials like linen, wool, or cotton. However, it is worth noting that some Lyocell manufacturers employ toxic chemicals; the level of sustainability depends on each producers’ adherence to best practices.
Pinatex
Pinatex is a natural fabric often likened to leather, which is made from the cellulose fibers of pineapple leaves. Given that the pineapple industry produces 40,000 tons of wasted leaves each year, repurposing these into raw materials for the textile industry prevents waste on two fronts, both in the pineapple industry and the textile industry. Pinatex also doesn’t require the use of toxic chemicals and heavy metals associated with the production of animal-based leathers. However, it is worth noting that the use of Polylactic acid and petroleum-based resins prevent Pinatex from being truly, 100% sustainable.
Mycelium leather
Did you know leather could be created from mushrooms? As strange as it sounds, a textile manufacturer known as MycoWorks figured out how to pull it off. The company relies on mycelium to grow its leather in a carbon-negative process. It is a sustainable and animal-free product that closely mimics the properties of the cattle-derived leather the textile industry has produced for centuries. The resulting textile is strong and flexible, just like leather, but with a bonus – it is water-resistant. Best of all, the mycelium leather is fully biodegradable.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a fast- growing grass known for its tendency to rapidly reproduce in nature. It has become a go-to material in construction and homeware, as well as fabrics. The cultivation of bamboo requires no fertilizers and rapidly regenerates from its roots after harvest. Its speedy growth means it can replenish up to four feet per day. Turning bamboo into a fabric can be done in multiple ways, though. To ensure its production is sustainable, methods must be employed which don’t require the use of toxic chemicals, so it’s up to bamboo fabric producers to employ best practices if they want to move toward sustainability.999999Bamboo is a fast- growing grass known for its tendency to rapidly reproduce in nature. It has become a go-to material in construction and homeware, as well as fabrics. The cultivation of bamboo requires no fertilizers and rapidly regenerates from its roots after harvest. Its speedy growth means it can replenish up to four feet per day. Turning bamboo into a fabric can be done in multiple ways, though. To ensure its production is sustainable, methods must be employed which don’t require the use of toxic chemicals, so it’s up to bamboo fabric producers to employ best practices if they want to move toward sustainability.
Hemp
Finally, hemp is a highly sustainable crop that requires low resource input to cultivate and harvest. It tends to enrich the soil it grows upon and can be planted and replanted without harming the local ecology; it returns about 60% to 70% of the nutrients it requires to the soil. Hemp also requires no pesticides during its cultivation. Hemp has a quick life cycle of about 90 to 120 days, making it easy to turn around raw materials for production quickly. Hemp is turned into a fabric through a process called retting, in which the bark is separated from the fibers. The fibers are then spun into a thread that can be woven into a fabric. This is an entirely mechanical process that requires no chemicals.
There is reason to be optimistic about textile industry sustainability
While the textile industry has historically been a major polluter and, in many ways, continues to contribute to environmental degradation worldwide, there is reason to be hopeful. Many producers, small and large alike, have already begun moving toward more sustainable practices. And, as our collective attention shifts toward caring for our environment in cultivation, production, and distribution, we continue to come up with new methods and new materials that can help us improve the existing processes. These materials and practices are among those that could ultimately turn the textile industry from a polluter to a green, clean fabric-producing machine.
