Synthetic fibers are the most popular fibers in the world – it’s estimated that synthetics account for about 65% of world production versus 35% for natural fibers.[1] Most synthetic fibers (approximately 70%) are made from polyester, and the polyester most often used in textiles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Used in a fabric, it’s most …
Although most of the current focus on lightening our carbon footprint revolves around transportation and heating issues, the modest little fabric all around you turns out to be from an industry with a gigantic carbon footprint. The textile industry, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, is the 5th largest contributor to CO2 emissions …
I’m so glad you asked! From the previous post I hope I made it clear that natural fibers (whether organic or conventionally produced) have a lighter footprint than do synthetics – both in terms of emissions of greenhouse gasses and in terms of energy needed to manufacture the fibers. And natural fibers have the added …
Please be aware that our suggestions are just starting points for you to consider when looking at a fabric, because actually calculating a carbon footprint is very complex and time consuming. Peter Tydemers, who is an ecological economist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, has warned that many of the energy calculators we see should …
Lots of people are concerned about the transportation costs of shipping fabric from China to the US, because they think the shipping contributes to an enormous carbon footprint of, say, cotton fabric. The thinking goes that the homegrown variety (which doesn’t have the transportation burden) is far preferable because you save so much by not …
The questions is whether it’s a better choice to use inherently flame retardant fabrics such as AvoraFR rather than a natural fiber (like cotton) which has been doused with toxic FR chemicals. The answer is complicated and like most in this emerging green area, there may be no “best” answer. We think the answers may …
In honor of May Day and workers everywhere, I’d like to suggest that you check where your cotton comes from. Like extracting oil which has different energy requirements depending on where its found, there’s a lot of variation in cotton depending on where its grown. And cotton from Uzbekistan is not a good choice. Uzbekistan …
OEcotextiles 