Textile production is resource intensive. Manufacturing requires water, chemicals and energy. Creating textiles generates waste.
Using resources effectively and moving to renewable inputs is the final step of a New Textiles Economy, a report written by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The focus of this blog is to share examples of innovations in resource efficiency, waste reduction, and products made using renewable inputs.
Resource efficiency
Making shoes and clothes requires lots of energy, chemicals, and especially water. The majority of cotton is grown in water-constrained countries including China, India, Turkey, Pakistan and the U.S., which is a problem given that it is a thirsty crop.
Here are some successful manufacturing processes that use water, energy and chemical resources more efficiently.
- The denim industry has embraced tools that eliminate water during garment finishing. For example, ozone gas removes redeposited indigo, which reduces subsequent washing and rinsing steps. Mechanical techniques, including hand-sanding have replaced stone washing processes with pumice stones and enzymes, and processing steps have been combined. The results are impressive. Levi Strauss and Company led the way with its Water<less techniques, which are now open-sourced for the whole industry.
- Low impact reactive dyes have high exhaustion rates and work in less water. The dyes require fewer auxiliary chemicals, and dyeing occurs at lower temperatures than conventional reactive dyes. Huntsman Avitera reactive dyes use one-third less energy and one-third less water during dyeing.
- NRDC introduced Clean by Design, and innovative program that has identified 10 best mill practices that reduce environmental impact and save money.
Waste reduction
The following innovations create less waste during textile processing
- Although not widely used in the apparel industry yet, 3D printing has the capability to minimize fabric offcuts entirely. Nike Flyprint is the first 3D printed textile upper in performance footwear.
- Reverse Resources, a software company from Estonia, has created software that will make fabric offcuts profitable. Their Software as a Service (SaaS) platform connects brands, traders, suppliers and fabric recyclers into a central data platform that increases the visibility of production leftovers. Unfortunately up to 25% of fabric ends up on the cutting room floor as waste. It is easier to use scraps if you know where they are. Trash to some is treasure to others!
Chemicals and materials from renewable inputs
There are plenty of examples of companies using renewable inputs. Chemicals and new materials can be commercially produced from sugar, algae, food waste and other biomass, using synthetic biology and fermentation. Because natural fibers (cotton, wool and hemp) are already made from renewable inputs, they will not be discussed in this post
Chemicals
- Beyond Surface Technologies creates high performing textile chemicals using renewable resources such as plant oil whenever possible.
- Proklean Technologies makes surfactants from live bacteria, sugar and probiotics.
- Colorifix makes textiles dyes from beets and bacteria.
- Genomatica has partnered with Aquafil to produce caprolactam, a key ingredient in nylon production, using plant based renewable ingredients instead of oil.
Fibers
- Bolt Threads has produced a silk-like fiber from silk worm proteins and sugar using bioengineering techniques and fermentation.
- Nanollose is fermenting agricultural waste to make microcellulose. Cellulose pulp, an ingredient needed to make viscose, can be formed from the microcellulose. This pulp can then feed directly into the viscose process. This saves trees, saves water, has a high yield and uses a waste stream as a food source!
Leather replacements
Leather tanning uses many hazardous chemicals and is a leading cause of environmental pollution, especially in countries such as Bangladesh and China. As a result, there is more and more interest in leather replacements such as those shown below.
- Pinatex makes a vegan leather from pineapple
- Bolt Threads (again) has made a vegan leather from mushrooms called Mylo
- Vegan leather can be made from a by-product of Kumbucha called SCOBY
Do you need help with your circular strategy?
For help with sustainability, circularity and chemical management, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation.
Tips and Insights contains information to help you make informed sustainability decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.