Textiles and garments have been an integral part of society for thousands of years. These include products that range from fashion apparel to industrial fabric, healthcare items, car upholstery, creative industry and home décor. Today, the fashion industry has a value of over 2.2 billion AUD, employing over 489,000 workers in Australia. But the industry’s use of toxic chemicals, finite resources, synthetic materials, unsustainable practices and poor working conditions for employees while producing fast fashion has come under intense scrutiny. It has led to the immediate need for transformation in the system. One of the ways to achieve it is through circularity.
The Need for Circularity
The fast-fashion trends encourage the high-volume production of low-quality textiles and garments that are difficult and impossible to reuse or recycle. Every year, people discard over 800,000 tonnes of textiles, leather, rubber and apparel, which end up in landfills, with a recycling rate of just 7%, according to the National Waste Report. If the consumers use the clothes for twice as long, the emission of greenhouse gases from those textiles can be down by more than 44%. This situation is where the circular economy for fashion and apparel comes into play as it aims to eliminate the energy and textile waste generated in the industry. It champions the resources that provide the ability to reuse, recycle and refurbish, bringing optimal economic well-being, utilization of natural resources, best usage, and health and safety of humans.
Features of Circular Textiles
Garments Are Reusable
Every year, Australians throw away apparel worth over 470 billion AUD, which they can continue to wear. The quality and durability of the textile materials that make up the garments must be such that consumers can use them for longer or repurpose them for alternate use. Using textiles for longer and reusing them for other purposes can reduce the need for new clothing items. It is therefore beneficial for biodiversity and human health.
Textiles Are Recyclable
When the textiles reach the end of their life, they must be recyclable to produce new textiles and recirculate in the market. Recyclable textiles can unlock a potential of over 100 billion AUD value in a year. They also reduce the amount that manufacturers need to invest in procuring new resources, as they can reuse their older materials.
Classification of Sustainable and Natural Fibres in Fashion
The origins and the structural make-up of the fibres determine their ability to be sustainable. Materials that fall under the circular economic model fulfil all the features required to achieve circularity. These include:
Vegetable Fibres
Vegetable fibres have a plant-based origin, and their structure involves a particular arrangement of cellulose and lignin. They mostly come from seeds, stems or leaf fibres. Examples of vegetable fibres that best fit the textile industry include hemp, cotton, jute, flax, coconut, kapok, ramie, abaca and more. They have significant uses in woven and non-woven textiles, from garments and accessories to furniture, due to their strength, durability, recyclability and zero non-biodegradable waste.
Animal Fibres
Animal fibres consist of proteins and are natural as they originate from animals and birds. Examples of animal fibres include fur, silk, wool, mohair, alpaca fibre and feathers. Animals used in producing textile materials in the circular economy are not under harm. Organic farming techniques ensure that the animals are in free-range, natural conditions that enable their growth and ensure their health.
Regenerated Fibres
These are fibres from natural protein or cellulose-based polymers that cannot be used in their original state. But they have the flexibility to reform or regenerate to create usable textile fibres. Examples include Lyocell, Viscose, acetate, triacetate, rayon, modal, and Tencel.
