Editorial: Biodegradability, hybrids and recycling: routes to sustainability in the fibre, textile and apparel industry?

8 pages, published in Issue 185, April 2017   Report price: Euro 305.00; US$ 400.00

Reflecting the growing importance of environmental sustainability, themes of recent editions of Performance Days – a functional fabric fair held in Munich, Germany – have included biodegradability, hybrids and recycling. Two of these topics are especially timely as manufacturers are looking increasingly at making fibres biodegradable and using recycled materials to address the growing environmental problem caused by waste. Worldwide, millions of tons of clothing and textile waste are thrown away each year – and most of this ends up in landfill. Unless radical steps are taken, this problem can only get worse. Manufacturers have responded by introducing fibres which are biodegradable. Also, many of these fibres are derived from renewable resources such as corn, sugar cane or cellulose as opposed to non-renewable resources such as petroleum. Additionally, it is claimed that the production of these "bio-based" fibres results in lower greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction in energy consumption. Manufacturers are also making fibres from recycled materials and these are attracting the interest of retailers  including Zara. In this report, Robin Anson identifies a number of fibre types and brands which could help to reduce the impact of textile and clothing waste on the environment. However, he cautions that not all bio-based based fibres are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable fibres are bio-based. Also, devoting agricultural land to growing crops for fibres at the expense of food crops has proved controversial. There is also controversy over the recycling of garments by giving them a "second life". While some of these garments are sold in charity shops in developed countries, many are shipped to developing countries where they undermine employment in indigenous clothing industries.

Buy this Report now	Buy this Issue (185) now	Subscribe

Six times a year, Textile Outlook International provides up to 200 pages of intelligence, expert analysis and insight on the global textile and clothing industry.

What's in it? Each issue provides an authoritative source of information on key industry topics, including: circularity; cotton; environmental sustainability; fibre prices; innovation; production and consumption forecasts; imports and exports; industry giants and emerging brands; international trade fairs; key geographical markets; recommerce; retail; supply chains; textile and clothing trade; textile machinery; trade and production trends; world markets; and yarn and fabric manufacturing. A single issue of Textile Outlook International includes: an editorial think-piece on a topical issue from an industry expert a report on textile and apparel trade and production trends a round-up of the latest international trade fairs a feature on textile and clothing imports and exports or fibre prices, production and consumption a report on a key geographical market insight and analysis of a key market leader or fast-growing start-up An annual subscription to Textile Outlook International is a cost-effective way to keep informed about trends and developments in the global textile and clothing industry. Subscriptions are available in printed and/or digital formats. Printed and digital subscribers receive each issue in printed format in addition to a digital PDF file, which is available immediately on publication. Like all Textiles Intelligence publications, Textile Outlook International is a reliable source of independently sourced business information, and it does not carry advertising. This is what our customers say: "Textile Outlook International is, without question, the premiere journal for international business research and analysis on the textile industry." (Institute for East West Studies, Czech Republic)