The production of agricultural by-products into textiles is an area that researchers are ardently exploring. Utilizing this approach prevents unnecessary waste and energy use by a whopping 97 percent. On the research side, Diana Bernin, a passionate researcher focused on innovative, sustainable textile solutions, is spearheading the study. It demonstrates the incredible, sustainable potential of producing fabric with materials such as wheat straw and oat husks. This collective effort aims to address the challenge posed by the most pervasive synthetic fabric. These materials make up over 60 percent of the world’s textiles and are produced using non-renewable resources such as oil.
The study, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry Sustainability journal, underscores the importance of finding alternatives to traditional textile materials. Cotton represented 25% of the world’s textile supply and wool only 2%. This massive dependence on oil-based polyester, which captures 65 to 70% of the market, poses significant environmental issues.
The Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Textiles
“To us, it’s a win-win.” — Diana Bernin “Using agricultural by-products reduces waste and saves energy. She notes, “It takes a lot of resources to make cotton, and there will not be enough cotton to make clothing for all of us anyhow.” Together, researchers collect byproducts such as wheat straw and oat husks that would otherwise have been wasted. Designing with environmental concerns in mind, this collaborative process produces sustainable textiles and reduces our carbon footprint.
Australian farmer Bradley Misfud echoed this sentiment and reinforced this effort by showcasing his own regenerative soil-building practices. He typically gets left with about a foot to a foot and a half that’s wheat straw. This innovative practice protects against erosion and increases moisture retention in soil. In Sweden, similar practices include retention of 10-15 centimeters of wheat straw. These practices improve the health of our soil and make it possible to recycle these by-products into beautiful, innovative textiles.
Twice-a-year surveys They shine a light on how many garments are just discarded or incinerated immediately after production. An anonymous expert remarked, “We’re just putting [textiles] into landfill at the moment or burning what we really need to be reusing.” This booming economy can no longer afford the hazardous production practices that textile manufacturing currently relies on.
Exploring Alternative Fibres
The search for sustainable textiles has brought researchers to trial several different agricultural by-products from farms in Sweden. These include not just wheat straw and oat husks, but potato and sugar beet pulp. These results indicate that these materials have tremendous promise. They are the competitions that can spark innovations in new textiles that fill the void left by our dwindling natural resources.
Chris Hurren, textile sourcing advocate and founder of Austex Group, which promotes sustainable textile sourcing in Australia, says that it is critical we look for new fibre sources. He states, “We need to look at some new sources of fibres to fill the void,” as traditional materials become increasingly scarce. He stresses that as oil reserves run out, ways to replace oil must be discovered to guarantee a continual supply of fabric.
Australia also leads the world in textile consumption. It now leads the world in garments bought per capita, yet some 40 percent of those garments are never sold. This statistic further emphasizes the need to discover methods of upcycling unused or excess fabric into new designs.
The Future of Textile Production
The research community understands that action toward more sustainable textiles is overdue and necessary for our collective future. As Dr. Hurren aptly summarizes, “Definitely it’s something that’s going to be needed in the future.” Our friend Bradley Misfud is on the same page. He thinks the material possibilities developed in Australian research could play a big role in this new development.
Diana Bernin reiterates the potential success of using agricultural by-products, noting that “it worked very well for the oat husks and wheat straw.” While still encouraging, it is important to note that this hopeful outcome urges further investigation into additional agricultural residues and their feasibility within the textile industry.
