Ridgwell Press Sustainable textile design

Ridgwell Press Life cycle analysis Designers should consider the whole life cycle of the products they design to make them more sustainable. All the processes from fibre to end of product life need identifying. Textiles products are made from fibres, then into fabric, onto garments which are transported and sold. Textiles need washing, drying, ironing to keep clean. Designers need to think about product disposal and build that into the life cycle.

Ridgwell Press Life cycle analysis Life cycle analysis shows the environmental impact at each stage of the cycle.

Ridgwell Press Textile life cycle analysis How are the fibres produced? How are the raw materials processed to make fibre? How is the fibre made into fabric and are the workers treated fairly? How is the fabric made into a product? How is the product shipped and packed to the shop? How will you look after the product? When it is finished, how will it be disposed?

Ridgwell Press Fibres and the environment World fibre production (source China Textile Engineering Society) Synthetic fibres 56% Cotton 36% Regenerated cellulose fibres 5% Wool 2% Silk 1%

Ridgwell Press Synthetic fibres 56% of world fibre production These include polyester and nylon and are made from crude oil which is a non renewable resource. Polyester is lightweight, launders at low temperatures and dries quickly. At the moment the fibres are inexpensive and have low labour costs. In future as oil becomes scarce, these fibres will increase in price. Synthetic fabric is lightweight and easycare

Ridgwell Press Cotton 36% of world fibre production Cotton is a natural fibre which uses fertilizers, pesticides and a lot of water in its production. In some countries people are paid a low wage to pick cotton. Cotton is a hugely popular fibre and ways are being found to reduce its environmental impact. Click to see the film White Gold - The True Cost of Cotton

Ridgwell Press Organic cotton Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Genetically modified plants cannot be used for organic cotton. Organic cotton makes up 1% of the total cotton market, but demand is increasing. Organic cotton can be more expensive than conventional cotton. The Global Organic Textile Standard sets standards for organic textile production which must be reached to get the label.

Ridgwell Press Gossypium’s Indian cotton

Ridgwell Press What is Fairtrade? The aim of Fairtrade is to stop poverty and help people create better lives. Buyers are encouraged to pay higher prices for goods such as cotton that are produced by Fairtrade suppliers The suppliers make sure that workers are fairly paid and have good working conditions. Fairtrade products can be labelled with the Fairtrade mark.

Ridgwell Press Wool 2% of world fibre production A natural, sustainable fibre from a renewable resource. Sheep are shorn once a year and their wool fleece continues to grow. Wool is a natural insulator that keeps you warm in winter. Farmers are getting very low prices for their wool fleeces. Wool is being used for alternative products such as insulation and coffins.

Ridgwell Press Silk 1% of world fibre production Cocoons are boiled to kill the silkworms inside, then the silk strand is wound onto reels. Peace silk allows the silkworm to emerge as a moth from its cocoon. The moth damages the cocoon which breaks the silk filament. Peace silk fabric is expensive. Silk cocoons with strands of silk

Ridgwell Press Regenerated fibres 5% of world fibre production Regenerated cellulosic fibres are produced from materials such as wood pulp from trees. The materials are reformed into cellulosic fibres, extruded as a continuous filament and twisted for yarns. The first commercial regenerated fibre was rayon later known as viscose. Acetate is a regenerated fibre made from very short cotton fibres combined with acetic acid. Fibre can be made from wood

Ridgwell Press Regenerated fibres Lyocell Lyocell is a regenerated fibre made from wood pulp which is a sustainable resource. The pulp is processed so that water and solvents are recycled with little loss, which reduces the environmental impact. Tencel is an example of this fibre. Garments are soft with good drape.

Ridgwell Press Regenerated fibres Bamboo Bamboo fibre is a regenerated cellulose fibre made into fibre by extrusion. Bamboo is a fast growing plant from a renewable resource. The process does use chemicals which have an impact on the environment. Fibre can be made from bamboo

Ridgwell Press Biofibres These new types of fibre are made from renewable plant materials such as sweetcorn, soya beans and wheat. Using food crops for biofibre and biofuel is a complex issue! Natural sugars from plants is fermented to lactic acid then refined into polylactic acid PLA. PLA is a thermoplastic which is processed into polylactic fibre by extrusion. Fibre made from soya beans

Ridgwell Press Ingeo – fibre from corn Ingeo TM uses sugar from plants to make a polymer which can be used for food packaging, bottles, and fibre. Today the plant sugars come from sweetcorn, but it can also be made from cellulosic agricultural wastes and non food plants. Ingeo fibre can be made into a wide range of textile products Fibre made from sweetcorn

Ridgwell Press Plastics recycling Great efforts are made to recycle plastic bottles and fleeces as post consumer waste. Fossil fuel is made into a range of plastics and these must be sorted for recycling. Plastic bottles, at the moment have to be sorted by hand and this is expensive. Recycled polyester chips are a variety of colours and this makes dyeing difficult. Plastic eco fleece is made from recycled plastic bottle fibre.

Ridgwell Press Chemicals in textiles A large range of chemicals is used in fibre and fabric production. These include Pre treatment chemicals Dyeing chemicals Printing chemicals Finishing chemicals Anti-static agents The Oeko-Tex Cerification Standard 100 limits levels for the presence of certain chemicals in textiles products.

Ridgwell Press Washing textiles Washing, drying and ironing clothes uses energy, water and chemicals. Wash clothes at 30°C Use environmentally friendly detergents Air dry instead of a tumbler drier Iron only when necessary.

Ridgwell Press Textiles waste The total clothing and textiles waste in the UK 2.35 million tonnes This is about 40 kg per person per year Over 900,000 million items of clothing are thrown away. Only 25% of the waste is reclaimed 50% of textiles thrown away could be recycled. The rest – about 30 kg per person per year – goes to landfill In landfill, textiles produce methane gas and synthetic textiles take a long time to decay.

Ridgwell Press A recycled blouse The blouse goes in a Textiles bank, is sorted by a Textiles Recycling organisation and packed, sent abroad where it can be resold.

Ridgwell Press The 6 R’s The 6 R’s are actions we can take so that the textiles we buy and use are more sustainable. Recycle Reuse Reduce Refuse Rethink Repair

Ridgwell Press Recycle, reuse, reduce Recycle Post consumer textiles from people are collected by charity shops and Clothes banks Post industrial waste is collected from textile and yarn manufacturers. Reuse Clothes can be sold again, redesigned or if they are too damaged, used for cloths. Reduce Cut down on the number of clothes and textiles that we buy. This saves money and reduces the amount of textiles going to landfill. Clothing for recycling

Ridgwell Press Refuse, rethink, repair Refuse Refuse to buy products which are not sustainably designed and manufactured Rethink Think about what you buy. Is it made using Fair trade practices? Does the product use recycled components? How much energy is needed in its production and maintenance? Repair Fix things if they are torn or broken. Create a design around an old T shirt. Appliqué over a tear in trousers. Chocolate Rain reuses old fabrics

Ridgwell Press Use of old textiles

Ridgwell Press Upcycling The purpose of upcycling is to create something that is of equal or greater value than the materials that make it. This means making a product from waste materials such as used textiles. Examples include Embroidering old jackets with new designs Using old cans to make necklaces Weaving juice cartons to make bags

Ridgwell Press Worn again Worn Again reuses fabrics from Eurostar uniforms The uniform is cut out, remade and screen printed.

Ridgwell Press Textiles designs Juggling balls made from fabric scraps

Ridgwell Press Textiles designs Fabrics can be reused for corsages and bed covers.

Ridgwell Press Textiles designs Fabrics stitched and transfer paper places images on fabric

Ridgwell Press Lauren Shanley Textiles

Ridgwell Press Keywords 6 Rs Biodegradable Biofibres Carbon emissions Closed loop recycling Global warming Greenhouse gases Life cycle analysis Non renewable energy PLA Post consumer waste Pre consumer waste Recyclable Regenerated fibres Renewable energy Renewable resources Sustainable resources Upcycling Waste to energy

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Ridgwell Press What will you do? This old story is hundreds of years old and comes from the Teaching of Buddha. Its message about reusing things is just as important today. What will you do with an old garment? We will make bedcovers out of them. What will you do with the old bedcovers? We will make pillowcases. What will you do with the old pillowcases? We will make floor covers of them. What will you do with the old floor covers? We will use them for foot towels. What will you do with the old foot towels? We will use them for floor mops. What will you do with the old floor mops? Your Highness, we will tear them into pieces, mix them with mud and use the mud to plaster the house walls.