The Corporate social responsibility in relation to conference bags must not only consider the impact on the environment of the eventual disposal of such products but also the impact on the environment in relation to production processes in manufacturing various.
The following examines all textiles available and reveals how appropriate each textile should be judged in relation to the objective of achieving the Environmentally Friendliest Conference Bag.
Many of these can be discounted on the basis that they are not suitable for textile bags such as bamboo, straw, paper and the animal fibres. Nylon and polyester man made fibres can be discarded as we are already aware that their disposal is more damaging to the environment. We are therefore left with a number of options to consider.
Plant Fibres of which all are 100% biodegradable
COTTON is a soft unicellular hair fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. It is a tropical plant which is native to more than 60 countries of which China is the largest producer followed by America.
Cotton is somewhat flammable, especially lighter cottons that hold a lot of air. Some cotton is chemically treated to reduce flammability. Many cottons are also blended with other natural fibers, such as linen, for particular properties, or to add texture and strength to the fiber. Cotton can be woven or knitted. It can also be turned into flannel, corduroy, muslin, and a variety of other fabrics used so universally that the American Cotton Council uses “the fabric of our lives” as a tag line.
Cotton also carries environmental controversy, particularly in the developing world, where dangerous pesticides are heavily employed. Cotton is subject to infestation, and therefore many growers heavily douse the plant in pesticides that are harmful to human and animal health, as well as herbicides to eliminate competition for resources. A number of producers also genetically modify the plant, which many outside the industry view as a questionable practice. Cotton also has very large water requirements, which may place stress on nations with limited water resources. The processing of cotton is also a lengthy and complex process involving washing , boiling and bleaching all of which require temperature control. The finishing processes also involve starching and further chemical treatment. As a result, the production of cotton is heavily criticised for its damaging impact on the environment. In the late 20th century, there was a push for organic, sustainable cotton grown and harvested without the use of pesticides and human exploitation. This cotton is significantly more expensive than conventionally farmed cotton, however, and may not be practical for most consumers.
JUTE is an extremely versatile vegetable fiber known for its strength and durability. It is derived from a relative of the hemp plant, and most of the world’s Jute is grown in the delta formed by the Ganges and Bramhaputra rivers in eastern India and Bangladesh although China is now a large producer. Jute fibers are long, varying from 1.5 to 3.5 meters, and good quality Jute has a golden sheen to it, earning it the nickname “the golden fiber” (although mainly golden brown, Jute fibers vary from white to silver grey). The fibers are spun into yarn, and then woven into a fabric, which in the US in known as burlap and in Australia Hessian. Jute fabric is extremely durable and has very little stretch, thus making it ideal for many different forms, from bags to carpets and clothing, and of course, upholstery.
Jute fabric is also used to create sacks/bags for many commodities: coffee, tea, rice, wheat, sugar, beans, cocoa, lentils, cereals, cotton, vegetables, fertilizers, sand and stones, and even fertilizer and concrete. Jute is totally biodegradable, extremely strong, durable, and an inexpensive fiber, thus making it the most environmentally friendly fibre starting from seed to fibre. It is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable.
HEMP is a natural fiber product of the Cannabis sativa plant. Astute readers may be aware of other byproducts of this plant, but hemp is produced from a type of Cannabis sativa specifically bred to yield long fibers. Cultivation of hemp for industrial purposes has been undertaken for thousands of years, and hemp was used to manufacture rope, canvas, paper, and clothing until alternative textiles for these purposes were discovered.
Traditionally, hemp has been a very coarse fiber, which made it well suited to rope but less than ideal for clothing designed to be worn against delicate human skin. Advances in breeding of the plants and treatment of the fibers have resulted in a much finer, softer fiber, which is ideal for weaving into clothing. While hemp clothing in the late 20th century came to be associated with fringe movements, it was once widely utilized as a textile: the word canvas, for example, is related to Cannabis, one of the original components of canvas.
As of 2006, it was still very difficult to grow industrial hemp in the United States, due to the plant’s confusion with marijuana. Though the two plants are members of the same species, they have been bred to achieve different ends, and industrial hemp does not contain enough tetrahydrocannabinol to make it a psychoactive substance. The growth of industrial hemp in the United States is heavily regulated, although the neighboring nation of Canada grows commercial amounts of the plant product.
Hemp clothing tends to be strong, insulating, absorbent, and durable. This durability makes it well suited to garments that will see hard wear, because hemp fibers can last up to three times longer than cotton fibers. Most frequently, hemp clothing is woven, although the fibers tend to form chunkier threads than other natural textile components like cotton. Hemp can also be used in knits.
Untreated hemp fiber is pale blonde in color and takes dye well. Many hemp textile products are colored with plant dyes, which gives hemp an undeserved reputation for being dull in color. In fact, hemp can be dyed as vividly as other textiles like cotton.
FLAX is another herbaceous plant grown for LINEN fibre in the warm countries of the Mediterannean. The fibres occur in the bark of the stem. The growing of Flax is free from extensive spraying and the use of pesticides however, like cotton the production process can be environmentally damaging due to the extensive water consumption and chemical treatment.
LINEN is the strongest of the vegetable fibres and is largely produced in China these days. It is most suited to the production of sheeting, cloths and clothes rather than textile bags.??CANVAS was originally made from HEMP fibres but later made from FLAX, JUTE , COTTON or a mixture. Canvas can be natural, bleached or dyed and is used extensively as a bag textile. Although cotton canvas is the most readily available, Jute canvas is also available. The main attraction of Jute canvas is the smooth, softer finish due to the finer fibres and tighter weave. This gives much greater flexibility for screen printing and embroidery which is an important consideration for branding when compared to Jute. Jute is coarse and therefore imposes limitations on the various branding processes. However, the actual content of Jute canvas is 55% Jute and 45% cotton and is therefore fractionally less environmentally friendly than natural Jute but if used sparingly for those panels required for branding then the impact on the environment is minimised yet the flexibility for branding is maintained.
Man made textiles which are degradable and recyclable
Non woven polypropylene has been developed in recent years as an environmentally friendly substitute for Nylon and Polyester which are known to be more damaging to the environment. Non woven PP has been adopted by Tesco and Morrisons for use in their shopping bags. (Sainsbury’s have adopted Jute with cotton handles – incidentally the cotton handles did not attract any adverse publicity from environmentalists). Non woven PP is degradable (it breaks down into small pieces in the ground over time) and is fully recyclable. The production process is also relatively clean and although temperature control is used during production, there is no extensive use of chemicals and water as there is for cotton. The production is therefore far less damaging than cotton but I suspect uses slightly more energy than in Jute manufacturing.??The main advantages of non woven PP are that it is a cheap textile to produce and that the surface is more suitable for screen printing and embroidery. Non woven PP is the cheapest textile out of all the plant fibres and man made fibres available for textile bags. The disadvantage is that it is not yet available in a bio-degradable form. It has also been criticised on the basis that it does not look as natural as Jute and may therefore not deliver the message that it is an environmentally friendly textile.
Other considerations:
Dyeing and bleaching?? During the dyeing process about 30% of the reactive dyes used are hydrolysed and later released into waterways. Although not toxic they may be converted into carcinogenic amines. Dying is also water intensive. However, low impact dye has clear environmental benefits as the material is not subject to heavy metals and azo’s in the dyeing process. Low impact dye is available is available for the above textiles at a slightly higher price, although the textile must be made to order.??Bleaching which is commonly associated with cotton production releases harmful chemicals which persist in the environment and spread through the food chain blocking the hormone systems of living organisms.
Best Regards
Christine
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