The Footprint Chronicles

It’s hard to point fingers at a company when they are already pointing things out for themselves. The Footprint Chronicles allows Patagonia to share the reality behind some of their most popular products and easily explains the ideas behind a true Life Cycle Analysis. Each article of clothing has a long life before and after you purchase it and wear it. Understanding how much energy is consumed, CO2 emitted, and waste produced from the drawing board to the landfill (or hopefully the recycle bin). It’s a big concept to get one’s head around and there’s more number crunching than most of us can easily digest.

This interactive website adds a simple way to click through the steps in producing a product and shows you images and videos to help explain the environmental impact at each point. For example, the simple Vitaliti Strappy Dress travels 16,350 miles, produces 46 times it’s weight in CO2 , 1.5 times it’s weight in waste, and 125 megajoules of energy. By making this information public, they are aware of the problem and have positioned themselves as a company actively looking for the best solution and lets the consumer make the final, and informed, choice. This process has also led them to be pioneers in new practices in the clothing industries such as their extensive Common Threads Recycling Program.

The Newest Eco-Textile: Animal Feathers and Wheat Gluten

Currently there are many natural fiber alternatives on the market, but 38 million tons of synthetic fiber is still produced annually, the majority of which is derived from petroleum. A new study however, has found that regenerated proteins could be an abundant alternative to the vast amount of synthetic fibers in use today.

Researchers have discovered that proteins in wheat gluten and feather keratin, when processed correctly, have suitable characteristics for use in a wide range of fiber-based applications. Unlike synthetic fibers, protein-based fiber originates from waste or by-product sources that are rapidly renewable but have similar qualities to wool. The US alone creates about 5 billion lbs. of feathers annually, the majority of which have no suitable use. Wheat gluten is also abundantly available, low in cost and a renewable resource.

Protein-based fibers have always suffered from poor wet strength, but this problem can be mitigated thanks to advances in nanoparticle and cross-linking technology thereby making protein based fibers a more commercially viable alternative.

Cellulose based fibers have been gaining popularity in recent years, but protein-based fibers are quite promising as they are commercially abundant, consistent in quality and have a guaranteed supply. With further research, protein based fibers have the potential to tap already existing infrastructures for raw material, and produce a wide range of useful products in place of the multitude of petro-based synthetics.

To find out more, check out the article at Bio-Macromolecules

Bamboozled by Bamboo?

Bamboo has been touted as the new wonder fabric, it is rapidly renewable, requires little or no pesticides, and is soft to the touch. Today consumers can find many “eco-friendly” products that are made from bamboo but can it really be all that sustainable?

Bamboo is a grass that grows up to two meters per week, and is cut and not uprooted when harvested allowing it to grow back quickly. It is extremely hardy and usually requires only rainfall to grow and thus many industries find it quite appealing as a source material. Unfortunately the majority of bamboo is derived from large plantations in China that are highly under-regulated. Many of the plantations were created through the clear cutting of forests, and although usually grown organically, bamboo is very invasive and can choke out native species and greatly affect local ecosystems. To be processed into fiber, a lot of energy is also consumed and toxic chemicals like caustic soda are needed to refine it into a wearable textile. The whole production process needs greater regulation and transparency to ensure its growth and production is more sustainable.

As with most products on the market there are usually trade offs in its production and use, and bamboo is no exception. Bamboo does have some great positive attributes however; It can be made into a variety of textiles that can be as soft as cashmere or as strong and durable as denim. Bamboo is also praised for its UV protection and its anti-microbial properties although further testing is needed to bolster these claims.

There is no doubt that bamboo is a highly versatile material. It can be used successfully not just for textiles but for a variety of other industries as well. For bamboo to truly be a sustainable material however, more attention must be put on its production and how it is harvested and processed. There is no doubt that bamboo can be a great sustainable material, but the hype surrounding it can be detrimental for the real facts to come out.

Visit the Organic Clothing Blog for more info