Sustainable Textiles: Hemp, Silk, Lyocell, Linen, Cotton

1. MATERIALS Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A

2. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A What is materials? • the matter from which a thing is or can be made.

3. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Types of material

4. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Types of material

5. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A TEXTILES

6. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Natural textiles • Natural textiles are those that are grown on plants.  There a quite a few different types to choose from, all with different environmental and social criteria.

7. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Hemp • How does Hemp fair environmentally and socially as a material? • Hemp (Cannabis sativa) has a lot of good environmental criteria  • it is fast growing and smothers out other plants (including weeds) therefore not requiring any application of herbicide.  • it appears to grow better in an organic system than in a conventional one • it grows well in cooler climates and little or no irrigation is required.  • It grows to between one and four metres tall and yields around 6 tonnes per hectare and 20- 30% of the plant is fibre.  • Hemp has far higher fibre yields than other natural fibres. • (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk)

8. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A • Narcotic propertiesHemp is known for its narcotic properties and this has meant that its cultivation is banned in many countries. Varieties with a low psychoactive compound Tetrahydocannabinol (THC) have been introduced and are now grown in the UK, among other nations. (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk) • Fibre extraction • Fibre extraction is similar to that for flax (i.e. separation by retting) although hemp stems are ten times thicker and two to four times longer than those of flax. The traditional process of degumming hemp fibres from the stalk (retting) involves placing small bundles of stalks in water tanks, open retting ponds or running river water while the stalk rots and the fibres are separated from the woody core. Water retting is linked to water pollution as nutrients from the decaying stalks promote high levels of BOD and COD. Alternatives to water retting exist and include among others: dew retting, where plants are left to decompose on the ground with the right conditions of heat and moisture; and enzyme retting, in which enzymes are applied to the flax either in the field or in tanks and which avoid pollution problems associated with the traditional method. (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk)

9. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A What can it be used for? • Property-wise hemp fibres are similar to flax or (linen) although slightly coarser and stronger. Hemp is suitable for a number of textile applications (as well as other applications including paper, building materials and composites) and particularly furnishing fabrics and 'bottom weight' clothing. It is frequently blended with other fibres such as cotton, silk or synthetics. Hemp is a realistic substitute for both cotton and linen. (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999) • Hemp Canvas, Hemp linens, Hemp knits, Hemp stretch, Hemp blends and Hemp speciality knits are also now available - for more information visit: www.hemptraders.com

10. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Silk • How does silk fair environmentally and socially as a material?Information on the environmental impacts of silk production is difficult to identify. • Silk worms are easily affected by agrochemicals, so it would seem likely that few pesticides are used in both the cultivation of worms, or in their diet (predominately mulberry bushes).  • The process of degumming the silk has traditionally used detergent and hot water which have implications for the environment if discharged untreated in large enough quantities. (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk)

11. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Lyocell

12. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Linen

13. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Cotton

14. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A • Pesticides • Cotton is highly vulnerable to insect attack, is normally cultivated as a monocrop and therefore cannot be sustained without large quantities of pesticides and fertilisers.  • In monocropping the natural systems of nutrient cycling and pest control become redundant. Pesticides account for more than 50 per cent of the total cost of cotton production in most of the world. • The most widely used groups of pesticides on cotton are insecticides and have been classified by the World Health Organisation as 'moderately hazardous'. However, some insecticides that are widely used, especially in developing countries, are classified as 'highly hazardous', these are generally acutely toxic and are nerve poisons. • Cotton fibre production also requires large quantities of fungicides, herbicides and defoliants. Large amounts of synthetic fertilisers (often based on nitrogen compounds) are also used and can result in nitrate contamination to water. Fertiliser pollution of water can cause accelerated growth of aquatic plants and algae and lead to eutrophication, which can deoxygenate the water to a state in which it cannot support animal life.

15. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A • Water consumption • Water consumption in cotton fibre production is another significant factor and ranges from 29000 litres in Sudan to 7000 litres in Israel. As all irrigation water contains some soluble salts it causes soil salinisation, reducing fertility.Production • Cotton contains many impurities (seeds, dirt and plant residues) which have to be removed to convert it into useful textile fibres. About one third of the raw material is cotton fibre, the rest is seeds and impurities. Hand picked cotton contains considerably fewer impurities than cotton which is machine picked. • Naturally coloured cotton • Naturally colouredfibres produce a fibre which does not have to be bleached or dyed.  • Naturally pigmented or 'native' cottons were conserved by traditional peoples and have a range of colours including beige, brown, green and mauve.  • However, there are a number of problems associated with these cotton varieties, such as short staple and fineness which has limited wider industry interest. • GM cotton • The genetic modification (GM) of biological species via the use of bacteria, fungi or enzymes has implications for the textile sector. Two types of genetically modified cotton have been introduced in the last two years: Bt-cotton which contains a gene that enables the plant to produce its own pest-killing toxin, and herbicide resistant cotton developed to tolerate specific herbicide applications. The reported benefits of both of these varieties lie in the reduced levels of pesticide application required. However, like all GM technology there are concerns about pest resistance and that these genes will transfer to and become established in wild relatives of the cotton crop. • (Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk)

16. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Wool

17. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Sustainable Cotton Other links To find out more about goods made from organic cotton - www.simplelife.com/organiccotton/

18. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Synthetic textiles Synthetic textiles are made from petrochemicals

19. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Nylon • How does Nylon fair environmentally and socially as a material? • Nylon (or polyamide) fibres are based on a petrochemical feedstock. There are several forms of nylon, in general terms chemicals are combined to form a polyamide salt. The molecules of the two chemicals react under high pressure and heat. The polymer is then extracted and cooled with water. • While details of the production sequence for nylon fibres are well documented, information or analysis of the environmental impacts appear to be extremely limited. That is with the exception of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from nylon production, which from a single UK site have a global warming impact equivalent to more than 3% of the UK's entire carbon dioxide emissions.(Source: Kate Fletcher, 1999 www.demi.org.uk)

20. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Polyester

21. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Viscose

22. Dosen: Ismail AlifSiregar M.A Fair Trade clothing