Another sustainable approach that some designers use, is fibre and fabric choice. Cotton is one of the most popular natural fibre used, however with this 'natural' fibre comes a number of environmental impacts. Cotton covers 2.5% of the worlds argicultured land, but uses 16% of the worlds insecticides, which in turn reduce soil fertility, cause a loss of biodiversity, water pollution, and severe health problems for those exposed to the chemicals. Cotton also has to be highly irrigated, an extreme example of this is the 'drying up' of the Aral sea, when the water was used up to irrigate cotton plantations. Man made fibres like polyester or nylon, use petrochemicals, an unsustainable resource, and the manufacturing process is extremely energy intensive. The emissions are also cause for concern, like nitrous oxide, potent greenhouse gas which is found to be emitted in the manufacturing of nylon.
Organic cotton
Organically grown cotton is grown using low impact methods on the environment. is from non-genetically modified plants, and has been grown without the harmful chemicals traditional cotton growing has become well known for using. "According to the fourth annual Organic Exchange Farm and Fiber Report 2009, organic cotton production grew an impressive 20 percent over 2007/08 to 175,113 metric tons grown on 625,000 acres. Organic cotton now represents .76 percent of global cotton production." - the organic trade association. All organic cotton suppliers have to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard, and the cultivation and production practices are monitored closely to make sure they conform. Organic cotton still carries some controversial issues, with the amount of water it still uses, the carbon foot print and the cost.
Hemp
Hemp is another sustainable fibre alternative. It naturally grows rapidly, uses little water, no insecticides and has an overall low impact on the environment. Hemp produces 250 percent more fibre than cotton and 600 percent more the flax on the same land. Hemp fabric has a high absorbancy, heat conductivity and is strong, which means it can be made into aesthetically pleasing long wearing clothes, and can be used as alternative to cotton or synthetic fibres. Hemp is making the transition from being the 'greeny' choice to something more fashionable, and is begining to filter in to the industry. It is still perhaps one of the least used fibres in sustainable fashion (possibly due to the association with its cousin, marijuana), maybe it is something more to look in to?
Organic wool
Organic wool comes from sheep that are grazed on organic feed, and on land that isnt treated with pesticides. Scouring and combing uses only detergents that are biodegradable and certified. In New Zealand there are some organic merino wool suppliers, who comply with these requirements and have gained the certification. Organic merino, is just as soft and supple, and of course warm, I think this could be a good fibre alternative for my collection, as long as the dying process complies to the regulations too.
Bamboo
The fibre is made up from the cellulose extracted from bamboo grass, as fast growing, wood like plant. Bamboo fabric can be identified in two catogories, natural bamboo which has a linen like hand to it, and bamboo viscose, where the viscose production used with the bamboo cellulose as a substitute for beech. Bamboo viscose is the most common form, however it is quite a high impact manufacturing process, but to counteract this, it is using a highly renewable natural resource, and is harvested in a sustainable way. It is also easy to launder and highly absorbent, and picks up dye better than cotton. It is often used in t-shirts and underwear, but can also take the place of silk in some cases.
Wild Silk
Wild silk is where the silk is cultivated in an open forest free from hazardous chemicals, and the silk worm chrysalis is cultivated after the silk worm has left naturally (rather than killing it in the traditional silk manufacturer). The silk is then manufactured the same way as ordinary silk using a fairly low impact method. Organic silk however is of lower quality, as when the silk worm emerges it breaks the once continuous silk filament into staple fibres and is then spun, in the same process as other fibres such as cotton.
Lyocell (Tencel)
Lyocell is a cellulose fibre, made using wood pulp, which is first dissolved in amine oxide and then spun into fibres, and the solvent is cleaned out of it. The manufacturing process recovers 99% of the solvent and the water is then reclaimed and then reused. Lyocell is also fully biodegradable. Some main characteristics of lyocell fibers are that they are soft, absorbent, very strong when wet or dry, and resistant to wrinkles; lyocell fabric can be machine- or hand-washed or drycleaned, it drapes well, and it can be dyed many colors, and can simulate a variety of textures such as suede, leather and silk.
Soy
Soya fibres are classed under regenerated materials, made from protein sourced from vegetables or animal milk. The oil is extracted from the soybeans and a cake is left, in which protein is collected through distillation and is then refined. Soy is often used as a replacement for petrochemical based fabrics and also for cashmere (it is sometimes referred to as vegetarian cashmere). It is soft and warm to touch and breathes well with a good absorbancy. It is often blended with organic cotton, to help in in the dyeing quality and to increase performance.
These are just some of the fibres I have started researching, but there are many more out there! I will continue my research and evaluate what would be the best to use in my collection.
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