Textiles and Sustainability

Sustainability in Textiles

Sustainable Textiles: These encompass fibre production, dyeing techniques, and disposal at end of life, focussing on reducing negative environmental impacts.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A method of measuring the environmental impacts of a product from production to disposal, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.

Organic Cotton: Cotton produced without the use of synthetic agricultural chemicals. Less damaging to the environment but often more expensive.
Bamboo: A fast-growing plant that requires relatively little water and no pesticides, making it a sustainable fibre source.
Hemp: A resilient crop requiring minimal water and no chemicals to grow. It produces a strong, durable fibre.
Recycled Polyester (rPET): Made from recycled plastics, reducing demand for petroleum extraction and landfill usage.

Natural Dyes: Acquired from plants, minerals, or even insects. They have a smaller environmental impact than synthetic dyes.
Low-Impact Dyeing: A technique aiming to reduce water usage and limit the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment.
Closed-Loop Dyeing: Systems aimed at recycling and reusing dye water, reducing pollution and waste.

Upcycling: The process of transforming old or discarded materials into something useful with higher quality or value than the original.
Recycling: Converting waste materials into reusable materials. In textiles, this can involve breaking down the fabric into fibres to construct new items.
Biodegradability: A desirable attribute for textiles at the end of life stage. Biodegradable materials can decompose in the natural environment, leaving no trace.

Ethical Production: Involves workers’ rights, fair trade, and decent working conditions. Ethical companies place a high value on human rights.
Carbon Footprint: Reducing a products’ carbon footprint is a central part of sustainable practices, involving lowering emissions during manufacture and transport.
Water Usage: The textile industry uses large amounts of water. Sustainable practices aim to reduce consumption, often including recycling and treating wastewater.