Can textile innovation lead the fashion industry towards a sustainable future?

Can recycled and bio-based solutions accelerate the transformation in an industry that is circular when it comes to textile production? 

The fact that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries is no secret. While a lot has been researched and written about it, here are some hard-hitting statistics, about the extent of damage the industry creates for the environment. For instance, did you know that according to the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry accounts for up to 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide output—more than what is generated by international flights and shipping combined? Did you also know that the industry also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year?

In 2011, ecologist Mark Brownereleased an alarming study, showing that tiny clothing fibres could be the biggest source of plastic in our oceans. He noted that 85 per cent of the human-made material found along shorelines were microfibers, and matched the types of material, such as nylon and acrylic, used in clothing. In 2016, Plymouth University conducted a study analysing what happens when a number of synthetic materials were washed at different temperatures in washing machines at the household level. They found that an average washing load of 6 kg could release an estimated 137,951 fibres from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 496,030 fibres from polyester, and 728,789 from acrylic.

The commonly used polyester is a form of plastic derived from oil, and is the backbone of several fast fashion brands.A 2021 report revealed that our clothes release half a million tonnes of microfibres into the ocean every year, equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles. Moreover, the report also pointed at the alarming fact that a vast majority of clothing and accessories today are made from fossil fuels; synthetic fibres produced from finite resources such as crude oil and natural gas account for over two-thirds (69 per cent) of the material input for clothes worldwide. This is dominated by polyester, which is present in more than half (56 per cent) of textiles we use today.

Some of you might argue that you only opt for clothes made from cotton fibres. But did you know that it takes10,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton, and that  non-organic cotton fibre produces 1.8 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide?

Thanks to our ignorance and need for overconsumption, these alarming statistics are overwhelming as they present a no-win situation. But there’s a silver lining in the form of innovative and alternative textiles that entrepreneurs and environmentalists are working towards. We take a look at understanding if textile innovation is the next step to build a sustainable industry of fashion.

Innovation for sustainability

Recently,WWD reported that textile innovation company Byborre raised 16.9 million euros in a series B funding. Founded by Dutch textile designer Borre Akkersdijk and business partner Arnoud Haverlag, Byborre is a textile innovation studio that aims to help the industry reduce its environmental impact and emissions. Currently on their roster, the company offers recycled nylon and polyester and 50 per cent recycled cotton, with a 50 per cent share of single-material compositions to increase recyclability. They are also working on introducing a cellulose-based yarn.

Innovation has become a significant and strategic route (and where the money is) in order to thread towards greener alternatives when it comes to fibres and textiles. In another instance, Faibrics, a Paris-based company developing a technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into high-value polyester through a circular manufacturing approach,recently announced that they have raised 17 million euros from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Program and five million euros from Partners to the Technology Upscaling Project. Their aim is to accelerate energy-intensive industries’ decarbonation by replacing fossil-based polyester with CO2-based polyester using a circular approach that recycles CO2 waste fumes from chemical plants into high-value textile products.

“Innovation within the fashion industry is a key lever to propel it towards a sustainable future,” says Priyanka Khanna, head of Asia for Fashion for Good. “The current processes of producing materials and processing them into final products are very old, resource-intensive and often wasteful. Newer technological innovations are improving or rethinking some of these processes and products to have a positive impact,” she says.

As a platform, Fashion for Good aids in accelerating the growth of innovative solutions by providing access to resources, tools to develop robust solutions, industry exposure and feedback. Khanna goes into explaining how it works. “Through our platform, these innovators get to work with brands on pilot projects, and brands get to work collaboratively in a pre-competitive space. Manufacturers and suppliers are also involved at the outset, as they have a wealth of knowledge and are the ones implementing these technologies. Therefore, we are trying to get the entire fashion industry together to drive systemic change through innovation,” she says.

But can recycled and bio-based solutions accelerate the transformation in an industry that is circular when it comes to textiles and their production?

Non-traditional fibres

Several brands, both global and homegrown, are starting to see alternative and plant-based fibres as a way to curb the oil and gas consumption that natural and synthetic fibres are responsible for. Stella McCartney became the first designer to create garments made from vegan, lab-grown Mylo™️ mushroom leather. Unlike animal or synthetic leather, Mylo™️ doesn’t require the amount of energy, land and other resources needed to raise livestock as the material is made from mycelium and isn’t petroleum-derived. 

Scandinavian brand Ganni recently introduced their Bou bag which is made using Ohoskin that uses orange and cacti waste from the food and beauty industries, combined with recycled plastics. Previously, the brand experimented with Vegea, a material made with waste from grapes used in wines. Japanese sportswear brand Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 shoes are made using a material derived from the Mexican cactus, while Adidas’ collaboration with Parley has resulted in creating footwear made from marine plastic waste. Nike presented a collection of sneakers made from a pineapple-based material called Piñatex. In 2020, designer Philip Limpartnered with scientist Charlotte McCurdy, who helped him develop a carbon-neutral dress made out of algae sequins.

Back home, accessory label Studio Beej, too, uses Piñatex and Mirum—a leather alternative made from natural fillers and plant-based oils and waves. Chennai-based label Arture uses fabric derived from cork to make accessories like bags and wallets. New Delhi-based homegrown brand Aulive partnered with Kerela-based Malai Biomaterials for a collection made from coconut leather. Anjana Arjun’s Sarjaa, a South India-based e-commerce brand,uses apple skin as an eco-friendly alternative to leather.

Most of these non-traditional fibres are biodegradable, use less resources and are free from plastic and toxic chemicals. For Parigna Desai and Roshni Kochhar, founders of Mumbai-based loungewear Lagom, it is imperative that we reassess our use of raw materials to ensure we’re able to bring more sustainable solutions to the table. The duo’s clothing collections are created from rose petals and lotus fibres. “We wanted to work with fabrics that were practical, less explored and alternatives to the ones used in the industry. It took us years of research followed by testing our products before bringing them to market. We wanted to work with fabrics that felt incredible on the skin and were easy to maintain,” they explain.

Invest in the future

The future of sustainability in fashion lies in the hands of innovations, specifically textile innovations, to curb the industry’s environmental impact. “In order to make all fashion good, disruptive innovation is required. The most impactful innovations tend to sit in the raw materials, processing or end-of-life phase of the supply chain,” says Khanna, who also believes that innovations are still at a nascent stage, although we are seeing a few reaching the market and heading towards scaling it. “Mycelium innovators are a good example of this, some of the chemical recyclers setting up commercial factories are also good examples. There are many triggers here that play a role, including market maturity, pricing, technologies readiness and development, and finally pressure on the industry to decarbonise at a more accelerated timeline. Policy changes (like the upcoming Green Deal) add on to the pressure on the industry to reach sustainability goals,” she says.

To build a sustainable future, manufacturers and fashion brands need to take a step towards investing in research and development of production of these alternative fibres. “To scale these impactful innovations requires capital investment. There are facilities that must be built that require financing, and financiers require some kind of indication of payback. This is where Fashion for Good comes in—we want to work with promising solutions, nurture them, and connect them with industry leaders to drive scaling, and ultimately lessen the environmental impact produced by the fashion industry,” adds Khanna.

Desai and Kochhar also point at the lack of media’s focus on such issues. “We don’t have enough of the mainstream media focusing on innovation in the industry. We discover new techniques and craftspeople mainly through Instagram now. Textile innovation has a huge scope for exploration and application and building a narrative around it in a way that is relatable but also novel is tricky. We often expect new materials to look, feel and behave like an older material does, like leather, for instance. What we actually need is a change in perspective for new materials to be embraced and use them to their potential,” the duo concludes. 

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