ECO-TEXTILE
The textile industry has been
condemned as being one of the world’s worst offenders in
terms of pollution because the
textile industry is one of the most chemically intensive industries on earth,
and the no.1 polluter of clean water for using as many as 2,000 different
chemicals in the textile industry from dyes to transfer agents.
For these kind of ecological hazards,
now a days the use of ecofriendly textile materials are increasing
significantly.
Which types of textile fibers are
very friendly with environment and have no hazardous impact on ecology those
are called Eco Textiles.
There are many types of ecofriendly
fibers which are used in the textile industry.
Here we are giving a briefly
description on some of ecofriendly textile fibers below:
Bamboo
1. Bamboo is one of nature’s most
sustainable resources; it’s 100% biodegradable and is naturally regenerative.
Bamboo grows extremely fast, up to one foot a day.
2. Taken from the plant, bamboo
is spun into yarns with no chemical modification by crushing the bamboo plant
and then using natural enzymes to break the bamboo walls into a pulp so that
the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. Bamboo
fabric made from this process is sometimes called Bamboo Linen.
3. Bamboo fabric is naturally
anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and thermal regulating. It is also resistant to
mould. Bamboo breathes and wicks moisture away due to its porous nature.
4. Bamboo is naturally
eco-friendly, not organic.
Hemp
1. Having the most eco-friendly
potential, these plants grow quickly and densely which makes it difficult for
weeds to hold on- no pesticides or herbicides needed. Hemp does not exhaust the
soil and enables sustainability by leaving the soil in excellent condition for
any succeeding crops.
2. Hemp is an extremely durable
fabric. It is also very insulating, absorbent and improves over time with
washing and wearing. It reveals a new surface becoming softer with every wash.
3. Hemp is also UV resistant,
highly breathable, fast drying and nonirritating to skin.
Ramie
1. Ramie is a highly sustainable
eco-friendly fiber. It is very strong and durable also 8 times stronger than
cotton and even stronger when wet.
2.Ramie is a flowering plant, and
once the flowers begin to bloom, that is when the fibers are extracted from the
plant for spinning, it can be harvested up to 6 times in a successful year.
3. Ramie is naturally resistant
to bacteria, mould and mildew as well as light damage, rot or insect attack.
Linen
1. Linen fibers are taken from
the Flax plant.
2. Linen is eco-friendly because
it is a natural fiber, meaning it takes little or no chemical fertilizer to
grow. Also once it is harvested all parts of the plant can be used, making
multiple by-products and nothing gets wasted.
3. Linen is cool and very
absorbent, great for summer wear. It is also extremely durable and strong, the
strongest of all natural fibers.
Reasons of increasing the use of Eco
Friendly Textile fibers:
1. Social responsibility:
Chemicals and pesticides invade drinking water and groundwater, polluting its
fish and even reaching human consumption. Organic and eco fibers grow without
any pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
2. Biodegradable: Eco and
organic fabric biodegrade naturally over time. Synthetic fibers eventually
become waste and let off harmful toxins when they degrade.
3. Health: Many people are
allergic or dislike wearing synthetic textiles. Eco fabrics have all the properties
of the new synthetic breathable fibers with added softness and drape. They feel
better against the skin.
4. Absorption: Not only do
its chemicals reach into our groundwater, conventional clothing is worn next to
our most porous organ- our skin. Organic and eco-fibers are natural and do not
contain irritating chemicals. Many of them are also considered hypoallergenic
and naturally anti-bacterial.
5. Popularity: Organic
foods have been around for a while and it is a natural evolution that organic
and ecofriendly fabrics will also gain popularity. Eco and Organic fabrics once
considered an alternative are now entering into the mainstream.
Finally, The sustainability has
become an essential attribute of today’s textile and clothing industry, the
process of transforming textile industry into more sustainable one is very
sensitive, needs a lot of knowledge, skills and commitment. Use of Sustainable fibers
in textiles is a part of this process and a step towards this milestone. These
might be possible only by increasing the uses of Eco-Textile fibers.
So the future of Textile industry
depends on that type of product which have no hazardous impact on environment
and these product also can be found from ecofriendly fibers.
Based on this discussion we
recommend to increase the use of these fibers in textile industries to reduce
the environmental pollution of Bangladesh.
Md. Bakhtiar Rana
B. Sc in Textile
Engineering
City University
Bangladesh
Email:
bakhtiarrana007@gmail.com
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