one determines how efficient that recycling process is.
- Organics – There are a variety of levels of organic materials available for the production of yarn. Organic cotton, linen and hemp are all examples.
- Wools – Consideration must be given to the wool mills that for centuries have reclaimed fibres and mixed them with higher grade virgin fabrics. It is an unfortunate situation that this has never been developed further; most probably due to the decline in the UK textile industry, but also because of the appeal of the New Wool mark. The New Wool mark will maintain a high retail status; and with the unstable market it is perhaps understandable that new initiatives have been looked at wearily.
- Hand recycled non virgin fibres made into a huge range of fabrics utilised in the Indian textile Industry and perfect for Khadi backpacks that last.
- New Developments – Consideration must be given to a host of new textiles that have been developed since the late 1990’s. A Viscose alternative developed by Ingeo, from processed corn starch is a viable textile. Produced essentially from waste, the resources required to manufacture the material are high; and practical application for the fabric, which cannot be readily heated without melting, nor woven to greater gauge than that used for underwear or swim wear, is minimal. The raw material is also non organic, and if developed in it own right there is the potential for corn to be produced solely for its manufacture. There are similar developments with lactose from cows milk, sharing the same problems as the Ingeo fabric.
Until a very short time ago the UK public were only able to recycle a few materials, all of their own volition. Today we have a large percentage of district councils implementing doorstep collections for recyclable materials. With feasibility studies stating that up to 80 percent of household waste can be recycled, what are we to do with this uncapped resource? Much of what is collected already has major industries, paper, glass, metals and plastics all have in place infrastructures to deal efficiently with their reclamation and reprocessing. Textiles, the forgotten one however, has not. It has been shown that there is not strict regulation for the collection of any textiles. No dynamic or indeed creative ventures for this resource.
So where does one go next?
Through design initiatives, and extensive research and development many products that would once have been grown or mined for the purpose of covering our backs can come from our bins. We can help reduce the massive scale of environmental damage caused simply by the over production of cotton, if we are able to implement real world solutions and embrace textile recycling just as we have glass.
P.C. Sinha, (2004) Encyclopaedia of Ecology, Environment and Pollution
Sara Hulse, (2000) Plastics Product Recycling: Technology and Market Trends.
A. Richard Horrocks, (1996) Recycling Textile and Plastic Waste.
Brenda Platt, (1997) Weaving Textile Reuse into Waste Reduction.
Olga Nieuwenhuys, (1993) Children’s Lifeworlds: Gender, Welfare and Labour in the Developing World.
Ambika Prasad Diwan, (2002) Recent Advances in Environmental Ecology.
H.-K. Rouette, (2001) Encyclopedia of Textile Finishing.
Jeremy Seabrook, (2001) Children of Other Worlds: Exploitation in the Global Market.
Kevin T. Pickering & Lewis A. Owen, (1997) Global Environmental Issues 2nd Edition.
Craig Donnellan, (2002) Child labour Issues, Volume 46
Joseph Stiglitz, (2002) Globilazation and its discontents
Paul Roberts & Lucy Glynn, (no date) Friends of the Earth, Recycling in action, leading case studies across England and Wales
Joints Members Waste Forum – Hereford & Worcestershire, (2001)
Managing Waste for a Brighter Future
Jeffery Wilson, (2005) Ecological Foot Prints of Canadian Municipalities & Regions
Paul Allen, Pennine Fibres, telephone interview
Roger Polsen, Colsen Weavers, telephone interview
Paul Cullingworth, Fibre Reclaimers, Cullingworth Summers & Co, telephone interview
David Elks, Intertek Laboratories, telephone interview
David Keena