Can textile innovation lead the fashion industry towards a sustainable future?

By Saloni Dhruv
15 February, 2023

Can textile innovation lead the fashion industry towards a sustainable future?

By Saloni Dhruv
15 February, 2023

Can recycled and bio-based solutions accelerate the transformation in an industry that is circular when it comes to textile production? 

The fact that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries is no secret. While a lot has been researched and written about it, here are some hard-hitting statistics, about the extent of damage the industry creates for the environment. For instance, did you know that according to the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry accounts for up to 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide output—more than what is generated by international flights and shipping combined? Did you also know that the industry also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year?

In 2011, ecologist Mark Brownereleased an alarming study, showing that tiny clothing fibres could be the biggest source of plastic in our oceans. He noted that 85 per cent of the human-made material found along shorelines were microfibers, and matched the types of material, such as nylon and acrylic, used in clothing. In 2016, Plymouth University conducted a study analysing what happens when a number of synthetic materials were washed at different temperatures in washing machines at the household level. They found that an average washing load of 6 kg could release an estimated 137,951 fibres from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 496,030 fibres from polyester, and 728,789 from acrylic.

An average washing load of 6 kg could release an estimated 137,951 fibres from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 496,030 fibres from polyester, and 728,789 from acrylic. Image: Pexels

New Cotton Project, Fashion for Good Museum. Image: Alina Krasieva

The commonly used polyester is a form of plastic derived from oil, and is the backbone of several fast fashion brands. A 2021 report revealed that our clothes release half a million tonnes of microfibres into the ocean every year, equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles. Moreover, the report also pointed at the alarming fact that a vast majority of clothing and accessories today are made from fossil fuels; synthetic fibres produced from finite resources such as crude oil and natural gas account for over two-thirds (69 per cent) of the material input for clothes worldwide. This is dominated by polyester, which is present in more than half (56 per cent) of textiles we use today.

Some of you might argue that you only opt for clothes made from cotton fibres. But did you know that it takes 10,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton, and that  non-organic cotton fibre produces 1.8 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide?

Thanks to our ignorance and need for overconsumption, these alarming statistics are overwhelming as they present a no-win situation. But there’s a silver lining in the form of innovative and alternative textiles that entrepreneurs and environmentalists are working towards. We take a look at understanding if textile innovation is the next step to build a sustainable industry of fashion.