Some companies, perhaps sensing a business opportunity, have tried to use the green textile movement to their advantage. DuPont and other chemical companies have targeted a potentially hopeful resource for the future in the form of enzymes, which can be very effective in fiber preparation, pre-treatment and value-added finishing as catalysts. Because enzymes work "even under mild conditions and do not require the high energy input often associated with chemical processes," they offer a more ecologically friendly way to treat fabrics than harsh formaldehyde or chlorine ("Textiles and leather," Industrial Sustainability, 2007).
It may sound paradoxical that enzymatic chemicals can make the industry more sustainable. Another paradox of the industry is that natural fibers such as cotton and hemp may not be as eco-friendly as one might expect. For example, in the United States, about a third of a pound of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are required for the process of growing enough cotton for a T-shirt, and in California, five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals (cyanazine, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) ("What's the Cotton-Picking Idea?" The Worsted Witch, 2006). Up to 40% of cotton grown is wasted between the harvest and the manufacture of garments (Dadd, 2007). Using organically grown cotton is one way to ensure that wearing this 'natural' fiber does not contribute to ecological damage, although even this label is controversial, as organic farms may still leave a substantial ecological footprint, depending on how their goods are shipped, and how far. Organic does not necessarily mean friendly to the environment.
The inevitable costs caused by manufacturing new products means that even though new technologies are evolving in terms of how to create new products, it is also important to develop new ways to use existing textile fabrics in circulation. "According to the Council for Textile Recycling, nationwide over four-million tons of post-consumer textiles enter the waste stream every year. Most go to landfills, but around a million tons are collected by charity groups. About half of the...
There they are sorted for different markets and either sent to other countries for sale as used clothing, or chopped up and reclaimed to make items such as blankets" (Dadd, 2007). Simply reusing older goods, and buying goods made by designers is another way to circumvent waste.
But contributing to charity boxes alone will not end the problem of sustainability. "In addition to our post-consumer fabric waste, 25,000 tons of new textile fiber is disposed of by North American spinning mills, weavers and fabric manufacturers each year" (Dadd, 2007). In other words, manufacturing, regardless of how and what the good contains, still causes waste unless the factories themselves use minimal resources to fuel their output. At every chain of the steps that are required to create a product, the textile industry and the consumer must be hyper-vigilant so the planet does not become hostage to our obsession with wearing the next new thing.
Works Cited
Dadd, Debra Lynn. "Textile Recycling." Worldwise. 2007. 11 Oct 2007. http://www.dezignare.com/newsletter/recyclingtextiles.html
Market Transformation and Sustainability." Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability. 2007. 11 Oct 2007. http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/
Projects and Outreach." GreenBlue. 11 Oct 2007. http://www.greenblue.org/activities_lead.html#STS
Sustainability in textiles: An Overview" the Worsted Witch. 26 Apr 2006. 11 Oct 2007. http://www.worstedwitch.com/?p=147.
Sustainable products." Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability.
11 Oct 2007. http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/standards.htm
Sustainable textiles urged at UN Conference" PR Wire. 2007. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4991455/Sustainable-textiles-urged-at-U.html
Textiles and leather." Industrial Sustainability. 11 Oct 2007. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/ind-dev.nsf/en/de00014e.html
What's the Cotton-Picking Idea?" The Worsted Witch. 15 Apr 2006. http://www.worstedwitch.com/?p=176
