Is inherently good possible in the apparel industry?

Natural vs. synthetic fibers are both being used in the textile industry today. Which one is better for the environment though? Although many people think that natural fibers are the inherently ‘good’ choice, they might be surprised to find that natural fibers, such as cotton, use vast more amounts of water then synthetics that in turns affects the globes fresh water supply. The chapter “Materials Diversity” in the book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles cites that 1 kg of cotton (2.20 pounds) can use up to 8,000 liters (2113.4 gallons) of water. Common synthetic fibers are acetate, acrylic, spandex, lyocell, rayon and polyester. These synthetics require significantly more energy to produce.

Aesthetics in textiles refer to the characteristics of a fiber: abrasion resistance, absorbency, chemical, mildew and moth resistance, elasticity, flammability, heat sensitivity, piling, strength, sunlight resistance, warmth, weight, and wrinkle recovery. Many people do not realize that all fibers have so many specific characteristics! From a aesthetics standpoint synthetics fibers are tend to be resistant to chemical and rot, have a low moisture absorbency, flame resistant and do pill. Natural fibers tend to possess high moisture absorbency, have low pilling, and are not as flame resistant as synthetics. Furthermore, natural fibers tend to be more comfortable than synthetics. With advance being made in the textile industry, the playing field for synthetic versus natural is becoming increasingly leveled.

Beyond Green 2011: Sustainable Innovations in Fibers and Processes highlights six ways to become more sustainable: 1) Re-using, recycling, and upcycling 2) renewables 3) re-exploring naturals 4) doing more from less 5) water-less and 6) new ways. In the apparel industry, it is difficult to decide on which fiber is better all around. I believe that this decision needs to be based on a case-by-case basis. Neither synthetic nor natural fibers provide a all around good answer for water-use, energy-use and disposal, both have positives and negatives. What I believe is that we should concentrate on reducing our over-production of both fibers. The obvious benefit of over-production in textiles and fibers is a cutting in cost. The drawback of over-production is that there is no proven method for synthetics and naturals to be created, used, up-cycled and disposal, in a closed-circuit manner. With a closed-circuit method, companies would not have to worry about over-production because they (the companies) could use re-create and re-use the fabric for next season’s line. In addition to creating a closed-circuit method, companies need to use production means that better the environment which can lead back changing the design.

In closing, no fiber, synthetic or natural, is inherently good. Decisions have to be made on what fits the needs of the company, customer and environment in different cases. The current way for leaders in the industry to provide sustainable ways is to stay informed on new technologies and support research and development in sustainability.