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rate of “more than 99%” (TENCEL 2018). Lenzing products including lyocell and
modal fibres are the closest example of harvesting, producing and recovering materials with less than 0.1% of negative impact in their full-life cycle. Lenzing exemplifies sustainable practice in the fashion industry and should thus be replicated by
other corporations.
Another case in point is soybean fibres produced by spinning the protein distilled
from the soybean. Like hemp, this fibre was used to replace cotton in the World War
II, but due to technical difficulties, its popularity quickly diminished (Fletcher
2014). In recent years, this fibre has gained strength in the textile market in China.
However, there are major concerns regarding the soybean crops intensive tilling that
require consideration.
The use of natural fibres in the fashion industry is not holistically sustainable,
and therefore complementary fibres are needed throughout the production process,
such as synthetic fibres. Below is a review of cases using synthetic materials and
how those could be integrated into the fashion industry in a more sustainable manner.
16.2.3.1.2 Synthetic Fibres
The main issue regarding the production of synthetic fibres is energy consumption.
Synthetics are made of petroleum feedstock containing chemicals harmful to the
environment. They are also the major contributors of pollutants, resulting in clearing of forests for resources as well as emitting huge amount of GHGs (Superego
2018). Thus, synthetic fibres are not sustainable.
The use of antimony, for example, in the production of polyester turns into
wastewater, releasing high amounts of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). “Over 70 billion barrels of oil per year are used to make polyester”
(Karthik and Rathinamoorthy 2017). Synthetic fibres, if recycled, are downcycling,
a process in which the value of a material decreases during recycling or the material
ends up in landfills. Despite being unsustainable, synthetics are essential for some
technological developments such as the design of space suits. Polyester is also used
in fibres, bottles, containers and photographic films to name a few (Karthik and
Rathinamoorthy 2017). Although polyester waste management often results in environmental problems, if “design begins at the molecular level, synthetic products can
be conceived as technical nutrients, which are materials specifically designed to
feed or be returned to, industrial systems without any harmful effects” (McDonough
and Braungart 2002). In 2001, Victor Textiles introduced Eco-Intelligent™
Polyester. The company affirms to be the first dyed polyester fibre made of environmentally safe ingredients, such as dyestuff, auxiliary chemicals and titanium- and
silica-based catalysts that replace the metalloid antimony (McDonough and
Braungart 2002). Eco-Intelligent™ Polyester is designed to have a high performance and durability, with no limitations on colour choices, and can be woven in
any jacquard pattern. Additionally, it is a fibre-to-fibre product, safely recycled to
produce the same high-quality fibre as the original (Victor 2018). This system in
partnership with recycling technology from Unifi, a yarn manufacturer, and
C. Arana et al.
rate of “more than 99%” (TENCEL 2018). Lenzing products including lyocell and
modal fibres are the closest example of harvesting, producing and recovering materials with less than 0.1% of negative impact in their full-life cycle. Lenzing exemplifies sustainable practice in the fashion industry and should thus be replicated by
other corporations.
Another case in point is soybean fibres produced by spinning the protein distilled
from the soybean. Like hemp, this fibre was used to replace cotton in the World War
II, but due to technical difficulties, its popularity quickly diminished (Fletcher
2014). In recent years, this fibre has gained strength in the textile market in China.
However, there are major concerns regarding the soybean crops intensive tilling that
require consideration.
The use of natural fibres in the fashion industry is not holistically sustainable,
and therefore complementary fibres are needed throughout the production process,
such as synthetic fibres. Below is a review of cases using synthetic materials and
how those could be integrated into the fashion industry in a more sustainable manner.
16.2.3.1.2 Synthetic Fibres
The main issue regarding the production of synthetic fibres is energy consumption.
Synthetics are made of petroleum feedstock containing chemicals harmful to the
environment. They are also the major contributors of pollutants, resulting in clearing of forests for resources as well as emitting huge amount of GHGs (Superego
2018). Thus, synthetic fibres are not sustainable.
The use of antimony, for example, in the production of polyester turns into
wastewater, releasing high amounts of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). “Over 70 billion barrels of oil per year are used to make polyester”
(Karthik and Rathinamoorthy 2017). Synthetic fibres, if recycled, are downcycling,
a process in which the value of a material decreases during recycling or the material
ends up in landfills. Despite being unsustainable, synthetics are essential for some
technological developments such as the design of space suits. Polyester is also used
in fibres, bottles, containers and photographic films to name a few (Karthik and
Rathinamoorthy 2017). Although polyester waste management often results in environmental problems, if “design begins at the molecular level, synthetic products can
be conceived as technical nutrients, which are materials specifically designed to
feed or be returned to, industrial systems without any harmful effects” (McDonough
and Braungart 2002). In 2001, Victor Textiles introduced Eco-Intelligent™
Polyester. The company affirms to be the first dyed polyester fibre made of environmentally safe ingredients, such as dyestuff, auxiliary chemicals and titanium- and
silica-based catalysts that replace the metalloid antimony (McDonough and
Braungart 2002). Eco-Intelligent™ Polyester is designed to have a high performance and durability, with no limitations on colour choices, and can be woven in
any jacquard pattern. Additionally, it is a fibre-to-fibre product, safely recycled to
produce the same high-quality fibre as the original (Victor 2018). This system in
partnership with recycling technology from Unifi, a yarn manufacturer, and
C. Arana et al.