ECO-FRIENDLY TEXTILES

Suparna M G1, Rinsey Antony V A2

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]

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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

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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.

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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.

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 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 eel-
shaped 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,

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 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
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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.

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[8]. http://fashionarun.page.tl/ECO-FRIENDLY-TEXTILES.htm
[9]. http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6693/ayurvastra-an-eco-friendly-textile

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