268
A. Zanelli et al.
bio-cotton can drastically reduce the environmental impact of conventional cotton,
nevertheless the share of sustainable cotton increased from 6% in 2012 to 19%
in 2017. Derived from cellulose filaments made of dissolved wood pulp or other
starches are covering less of 10% of the fibers utilized in the textile sector. Most
of the raw materials used in textile industry are still polymers made of petroleum.
A biopolymer includes various materials of natural origin, such as wood, cellulose,
chitosan, and chitin (Chiellini et al. 2001). Thanks to the fast advances in the synthesis
of renewable raw materials (surplus or waste products from agriculture or foresting)
within sustainable processes via fermentation, using a special mix of microorganisms
and bacteria—a wider number of biopolymers can be created. Most of them are
not degradable or compostable, and thus, only few of them are really closing the
loops. As with conventional plastics, biopolymers are available in many grades and
with widely varying properties, which depend on the application. A clear distinction
between bio-based and fossil-based plastics on one hand, and biodegradable on the
other hand has been done by many scientists (Niaounakis 2015), nevertheless the
list of each family of plastics truly compatible with the bio-economy is going to
be updated, and hopefully implemented, in the near future. The crucial difference
between fossil-based polymers and biodegradable ones is that the first family is
resistant to degradation, while the latter, also named oxo-degradable polymers, can
be decomposed by microorganisms in a measurable rate, which depends from three
main factors—light, water, and oxygen—and increases with time, while only few
are compostable, that is they degrade in a specific environment, yielding H 2 O, CO 2 ,
biomass, and inorganic compounds, without leaving visual or toxic residue into the
soil (Ashter 2016).
In conclusion, the bio-prefix also applicable to biodegradable synthetic polymers
can be misleading as this category can lead to advantages at the end of life when compared to the plastics produced so far, but still remains unsustainable in the cradle,
as they use non-renewable resources. Only natural polymers—biodegradable and
bio-based biopolymers—promise a high level of eco-compatibility; they are much
less of all the other polymers on the market, and several studies on the potentialities
of the renewable feedstock, such as plants, animals, or microorganisms are ongoing.
Innovative technologies start to emerge, enabling recycling textiles into virgin fibers,
as in the case of: Infinited Fiber (Infinited Fiber Company 2019); Re.Verso
TM spinning (Nuova Fratelli Boretti 2018); and Raytent
TM production (Giovanardi 2019).
Nowadays, the greatest challenge is to succeed on the one hand in reducing the
quantity of fossil-based textiles, and, on the other hand, to guarantee that finishing treatment—able to confer specific functionalities and technical uses—are also
drastically re-developed toward the use of natural alternatives and energy-saving
separation processes at the end of life.
A. Zanelli et al.
bio-cotton can drastically reduce the environmental impact of conventional cotton,
nevertheless the share of sustainable cotton increased from 6% in 2012 to 19%
in 2017. Derived from cellulose filaments made of dissolved wood pulp or other
starches are covering less of 10% of the fibers utilized in the textile sector. Most
of the raw materials used in textile industry are still polymers made of petroleum.
A biopolymer includes various materials of natural origin, such as wood, cellulose,
chitosan, and chitin (Chiellini et al. 2001). Thanks to the fast advances in the synthesis
of renewable raw materials (surplus or waste products from agriculture or foresting)
within sustainable processes via fermentation, using a special mix of microorganisms
and bacteria—a wider number of biopolymers can be created. Most of them are
not degradable or compostable, and thus, only few of them are really closing the
loops. As with conventional plastics, biopolymers are available in many grades and
with widely varying properties, which depend on the application. A clear distinction
between bio-based and fossil-based plastics on one hand, and biodegradable on the
other hand has been done by many scientists (Niaounakis 2015), nevertheless the
list of each family of plastics truly compatible with the bio-economy is going to
be updated, and hopefully implemented, in the near future. The crucial difference
between fossil-based polymers and biodegradable ones is that the first family is
resistant to degradation, while the latter, also named oxo-degradable polymers, can
be decomposed by microorganisms in a measurable rate, which depends from three
main factors—light, water, and oxygen—and increases with time, while only few
are compostable, that is they degrade in a specific environment, yielding H 2 O, CO 2 ,
biomass, and inorganic compounds, without leaving visual or toxic residue into the
soil (Ashter 2016).
In conclusion, the bio-prefix also applicable to biodegradable synthetic polymers
can be misleading as this category can lead to advantages at the end of life when compared to the plastics produced so far, but still remains unsustainable in the cradle,
as they use non-renewable resources. Only natural polymers—biodegradable and
bio-based biopolymers—promise a high level of eco-compatibility; they are much
less of all the other polymers on the market, and several studies on the potentialities
of the renewable feedstock, such as plants, animals, or microorganisms are ongoing.
Innovative technologies start to emerge, enabling recycling textiles into virgin fibers,
as in the case of: Infinited Fiber (Infinited Fiber Company 2019); Re.Verso
TM spinning (Nuova Fratelli Boretti 2018); and Raytent
TM production (Giovanardi 2019).
Nowadays, the greatest challenge is to succeed on the one hand in reducing the
quantity of fossil-based textiles, and, on the other hand, to guarantee that finishing treatment—able to confer specific functionalities and technical uses—are also
drastically re-developed toward the use of natural alternatives and energy-saving
separation processes at the end of life.