As cotton exports fall, many companies are looking to substitute. This begs the question, however: Can cotton be replaced?
Cotton is a heavily-used resource in the apparel industry, with over 17 million tons produced globally every year. It is in high demand, which makes matters especially difficult when cotton yarn exports fall. According to a recent report from Texprocil, there has been a 33 percent fall in cotton yarn exports from India. This has taken a huge hit at apparel manufacturing, and has triggered a hunt for alternatives. Upon doing some research, we have found these four crops to be just as great (if not more) as cotton. Also, these plants just so happen to be extremely sustainable.
Hemp
Hemp produces several benefits over cotton, and has proven time and time again to reign supreme. For one, hemp needs much less land than cotton to grow. More product can be produced in a much smaller territory. In addition, hemp uses much less water than cotton: over 9,000 liters to be exact! And, if you didn't think it could get any better, fabric made from the hemp plant has a longer lifespan. While cotton tends to become weaker when wet, hemp retains its strength and durability.
Bamboo
Like hemp, bamboo requires significantly less water to grow than cotton (approximately one-third less). However, the true beauty of this plant lies in its ability to self-replenish. What is meant by this is bamboo can grow on its own, without the need to continuously replant. The end-product of bamboo is also incredibly soft to boot, and has often been compared to Egyptian cotton (one of the finest materials on the market).
Ramie
This plant is rather unknown to the textile world, but definitely deserves more attention. Fibre from the Ramie plant has the luster of silk, and is much more absorbent than cotton. The only downside to the fabric is how difficult it is to produce, due to its gummy resin that takes a great amount of labor to remove. In the past, there has been a high demand for the fibre (due to slowed cotton exporting), but not enough resources to meet that demand. However, there is no doubt all of the work is worth it in the end, as Ramie makes for a breathable and comfortable product.
Flax
Much like the other cotton alternatives we have mentioned, the flax plant requires far less water to grow than cotton. Flax fibre is obtained through a process called retting, which also requires much less water. For those of you who do not know what fabric is produced by flax, it is linen; a super soft, ultra-breathable material with anti-microbial properties. However, organic linen is a little harder to obtain than organic cotton, as it is much more labor-intensive to produce.
So, while cotton is certainly a vital resource in the fashion industry; the manufacturing of clothing does not have to come to a screeching halt. In fact, the industry could benefit quite a bit from exploring other options. There is plenty of research to support their effectiveness, so why not utilize them? We should keep an open mind when it comes to the materials we use, especially when we are talking about making the switch to more sustainable resources. To the skeptics, we say: embrace all the natural world has to offer, and look beyond what we have been using for centuries. You might just find what you have been looking for and more.
This article has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff and is re-published with permission from synzenbe.com
* Please click on bar to drill down and up.
Responsibility:
Fibre2fashion.com does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the excellence, accurateness, completeness, legitimacy, reliability or value of any information, product or service represented on Fibre2fashion.com. The information provided on this website is for educational or information purposes only. Anyone using the information on Fibre2fashion.com, does so at his or her own risk, and by using such information agrees to indemnify Fibre2fashion.com, and its content contributors from any and all responsibility, loss, damage, costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses), resulting from such use.
No Endorsement:
Fibre2fashion.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to Fibre2fashion.com belong to them alone and do not reflect the views of Fibre2fashion.com.
If you wish to reuse this content on web, print or any other form, please seek for an official permission by writing to us on editorial@fibre2fashion.com
Subscribe today and get the latest information on Textiles, Fashion, Apparel.