Preserving the planet’s environment is critical to human survival, and the textile industry is in a better position than many to change humanity’s impact on the climate. This article details a few of the ways the fashion and textile industry is introducing sustainability in 2023.

If there is one thing that all humans should be able to agree upon, it is that the environment we live in is important for our survival. Like it or not, climate change is here. The textile and fashion industry is uniquely placed in this regard: as some of the world’s largest polluters, the process and material changes they make are able to have some of the greatest impacts. One person acting as an individual cannot change the world on his/her own, but one conscientious bulk textile purchase by a key player can have decades of influence on the environment.

Fabric mills, fashion designers and other players in the world of textiles have made amazing strides towards sustainability in recent years. There have been numerous innovations in materials science, recycling and waste prevention in the 21st century, and the smartest leaders in the industry are the ones who wholeheartedly embrace these changes. Here are some of the major ways through which designers and textile companies have been making their industry a more sustainable one.

Natural Fibre Alternatives to Artificial and Animal-Based Textiles

The most obvious environmental impact of many textiles involves the materials that are used to create them. The manufacture of rayon, for instance, may use natural cellulose fibres, but the process also creates poisonous gases and risks polluting the water, air and soil. Nylon and polyester use large amounts of fossil fuels in their creation. Animal-based textiles such as leather, meanwhile, have a massive carbon footprint because the animals produce greenhouse gases, and many fossil fuels are used in caring for them.

Thankfully, there are a lot of innovations in natural fibres to help reduce the need to use these textiles in the first place. Apple leather, for instance, uses by-products from juicing. This fruit pulp contains a high amount of cellulose, making it an ideal option for forming into textiles. Once the pulp is combined with polyurethane, it creates a soft, durable natural fabric that has found its way into shoes and small accessories around the world.

Likewise, Bolt Threads has developed a vegan leather substitute called Mylo. This technology is made from mushrooms’ underground root systems (or mycelium cells) in a factory completely powered by renewable energy. The fashion design brand Stella McCartney recently introduced the first full garments made from Mylo: trousers and a bustier top.

Other plant-based fibres are also growing increasingly common in the world of textiles. Just a few of the new plant-based materials on the market are:

• Nettle fibre as an alternative to cotton
• Pineapple leaves
• Squitex, which is a biodegradable and recyclable fabric based on squid genes
• Orange fibre as a replacement for silk
• Seaweed fibres
• Coffee ground fibre for quick-drying fabric
• Leather made from the leaves of the Opuntia cactus
• Vegea (wine leather), which uses grape skins left over from the wine industry

As the issue of climate change looms ever closer for humanity, designers’ visions of the future will be forced to adapt to these changes. Players at every stage of fabric and clothing production must proactively make these changes whenever possible.

3D Textile Printing Helps to Eliminate Fabric Waste

Excess production has long been a persistent issue in the world of textiles. Even though nobody wants to pay for more fabric than they need, every project will inevitably produce remnants. In 2020 alone, the world produced an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles waste.¹ Although this figure includes discarded clothing as well, a significant amount of this waste was these remnants.

That’s where advancements in 3D printing are coming to the rescue. The technology has begun to revolutionise the world of fashion as it has many other industries. Imagine being able to create the exact amount of fabric that a project requires, in the exact shape and size needed. Not only can 3D textile printing reduce textile waste, but its efficiency means reduced carbon emissions as well. Moreover, many of the materials used in 3D printing can be recycled almost infinitely, reducing the amount of discarded clothing in landfills around the world.

3D printed fabric isn’t yet a staple of fashion houses worldwide thanks to issues regarding its wearability and flexibility. However, materials scientists are addressing these challenges, and many are confident that custom-printed clothing will soon become part of the mainstream, just as printed-to-order clothing became inexpensive and popular in the early part of the century.

Companies such as New Industrial Order are using this technology to circularise the clothing creation process even further. Thanks to the seamless design of its 3D printed knitwear, large garments can be unravelled, allowing the yarn to be re-used into anything else.