Challenges and future directions in sustainable textile materials

Abstract

The fashion and textile industry are regarded as one of the biggest polluters due to the amount of raw materials used in the manufacturing process as well as resources used which are not sustainable. Consumers are buying and disposing of products rapidly with no regard to how their behaviour is fuelling an increasing number of waste that ends up in landfills and incineration plants. Traditional linear way of disposing material or product waste is not sustainable as fossil fuel sources used to produce synthetic fibres are finite and the same applies to natural fibres as the land and other resources are limited. This chapter discusses fashion and textile factors that have an influence on sustainability. Various factors such as recycling, reduce, reuse, redesign, eco-labelling and consumer behaviour influence sustainability and should be carefully managed. Fibre blending poses a serious challenge in the recovery of fibres from fashion and textile products as different fibres react differently depending on the recovery method used. Dyes impart colours to products and must be recovered as they can cause damage to the environment. Consumers drive the demand for products, and their purchasing behaviour has an influence on raw materials sustainability and environment protection.