In the Year 2050

                As an optimist, I am very optimistic about the future of our planet. The “Thinking Ahead” article states “belief that one can positively affect the future is critical to optimistic thinking.” I believe that sustainability is becoming increasingly popular and that by 2050 it will be a part of our everyday life. In my life, I have seen a pattern of friends and family members encouraging and influencing each other to use sustainable practices. As I mentioned in a previous post, I convinced my parents to recycle. I have friends who have convinced each other to reduce the amount of plastic they use. It is important that this continues so that future generations can enjoy all our planet has to offer.

                My vision of a sustainable future is characterized by recycling, reduced consumption and education. In order for this vision to come true, it is important that people have the right beliefs. First, in order to recycle and reuse products, people should believe that they are getting something out of this process. This could be done through a compensation program like receipt of a coupon when turning clothing in to a reuse program. That is not the only belief that will help though. People should believe that products are reusable and that others can gain use out of them. In order for consumption to be reduced people should believe that they have enough. In the article “Living for Consumption,” the author states that living with enough instead of having excess things means that we actually care for things instead of just caring about having things. Finally, in order for education to be a character of the future, the government, retailers and manufacturers must be willing to inform consumers about how products are made and discuss other sustainable topics. As time progresses, more and more sustainable practices will come about and the only way consumers will know about them is through education.

                While these aspects of sustainability are a possibility, people are going to have to overcome certain beliefs in order to accomplish them. In order to bring my vision into view, people will have to give up some things. As I mentioned, there is a great problem with over consumption. In order to fix this people have to be willing to live with less instead of more. The media is constantly telling us to purchase new products, but do we really need them? If we use education to tell people what they really need then over-consumption can be reduced. Over-consumption is also a problem because people believe that their importance is shown by the number of material items they own. It will be very difficult to change consumers’ mindset on this. If the media changes its course and shows that we really do not need an abundance of items, then people’s minds will change. There will be less need to have the newest and greatest electronic in the market. Another belief that consumers will have to overcome is the idea of owning used items. My sister is grossed out by the idea of GoodWill because she does not know who had the product before her. Many used products are perfectly fine and can be used again. By recycling and reusing things, there will be less waste.

                To engage people into following my vision, I must first show them what it is like. The “Visioneering” article mentions that as leaders we must first live our vision continuously in our lives. This allows people to see how the vision affects our lives and what it does to the surrounding environment.  Also, word of mouth is a great way to get people on board the sustainability ship. Like I mentioned earlier, friends can play an important role in this. By telling someone about how you live your life, you are influencing theirs. The media is also a great way to get your vision into the public eye. Blogs are playing an increasingly important role in consumers lives and will be an important tool in showing my vision.

Is Hemp the Solution?

“Make the most of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere.” George Washington

                Are there any “miracle fibers” in production that will help replace current popular fibers? Some may argue that fibers such as hemp, bamboo and Organic cotton are the future. While these fibers have advantages, they also have disadvantages and there are many people fighting for and against them. Probably the most debated is hemp due to its relation to the marijuana plant.  

                Hemp. Could it be the future? There are many supporters of the hemp plant including actor Woody Harrelson and musician Willie Nelson. Hemp is a popular crop because of its ability to be used in many different products including textiles and fuel. The only problem is that it is illegal. According to the Hempsters: Plant the Seed documentary, many tobacco farmers want to use hemp as a substitute for tobacco. Many of the farmers are losing their crops due to reduced demand in tobacco and with the loss of their farms, they are losing their income. The “Hemp: Historic Fiber Remains Controversial” article mentions that hemp is popular in the sustainability movement because it does not require pesticides or insecticides due to its natural resistance to mold and pests.  Many sustainable people find problems with the pesticide use in cotton and other crops. Growing hemp instead of cotton would mean a reduction in pollution. While there are many people in favor of hemp, there are those that are not. The Hempsters documentary mentions that many are opposed to hemp because of its association with marijuana. While hemp is related to marijuana, it does not contain the same hallucinogenic qualities as marijuana.

                Bamboo is another plant that can be used in textile production. The problem with bamboo is that manufacturers and retailers are improperly labeling apparel products as bamboo products when in reality they are actually rayon. Bamboo cellulose is used in the production of synthetic fibers such as rayon, but there is not enough of bamboo left in the rayon to label the product as “made from bamboo.” Apparel that is actually made from bamboo is great because it is antimicrobial and biodegradable. Rayon on the other hand is not biodegradable. I do not see bamboo as a miracle fiber because after reading the article I did not have enough evidence about how durable and useable bamboo is as a fiber.

                Organic cotton could be just the solution to environmental problems. It involves the reduction of pesticide use and other harmful chemicals. Many are in favor of it because of the lack of chemical affect it has on the environment. The problem with organic cotton is the certification process. According to the “Controversy Boiling: GM Cotton over Organic” article, many Genetically Modified cotton plants are being labeled as organic. This is another example of how the textile industry is tricking consumers. As I mentioned earlier, some rayon producers are marketing rayon as bamboo. The article mentions that the only solution to making sure organic cotton really is organic is transparency in the certification process. Retailers should be able to see where their product is coming from and how their manufacturer really produces the piece.

                Out of all of the fibers mentioned, I believe that hemp is the most likely to be a “miracle fiber.” Despite its negative relation to marijuana, it has many respective qualities that can make it a game changer in the textile industry. The lack of pesticides required in cultivation, durability and multiple uses makes it a great fiber.

Searching for Sustainability

Do you know someone who only purchases cotton apparel? Whenever I go shopping with one of my friends, she refuses to purchase anything that is not at least 95% cotton. We all have preferences to what we like in our apparel, but do we really think about where that product comes from? Though there are many in the textile production business trying to make textiles more sustainable, it does not make up for the fact that the actual growing of the textile is unsustainable. To make one kilogram of cotton lint, 10,000 to 17,000 liters of water are used.

After reading “The Sustainability of Cotton,” I have come to the conclusion that there is a lot of room for improvement in the cotton industry. There are many reasons why the cultivation of cotton is not sustainable including water use, pesticide use, human health and soil erosion. The factor that stood out to me the most is water use because we are constantly hearing about the state of fresh water. When producing a cotton crop, a process called irrigation is used to make sure the crop has enough water to grow and fully develop.  This process does not always involve getting water directly to the plant. According to the article, 60% of all water used in the irrigation process never reaches the plant. This is an extreme waste of water. The article also states that cotton cultivation counts for 1 to 6 percent of the world’s total freshwater withdrawal. Another issue is the use of pesticides because they not only harm the environment; they also harm the workers and surrounding community. The Sustainability article states that 40,000 lives are lost each year due to pesticide application. The workers that apply the pesticides should always wear masks, but they do not always do so. Pesticides can also lead to water pollution and deaths of birds and other species.

Cotton Incorporated is currently working on ways to make cotton cultivation more sustainable. Many people associate organic farming with sustainability, but organic farming does not address the water use issue. While it does not address water, it does address the use of pesticides by not using them. According to the “Cotton and Water: White, Blue and Green” video, there are new irrigation techniques that reduce the amount of water used in the cultivation process. One technique is the application of water directly to the soil. Farmers are also beginning to monitor the moisture of their crops through the use of technologies such as Smart Crop. This allows the farmer to turn off their irrigation system so that water can be saved. The “Protecting and Preserving Soil with Today’s Cotton Growing Technique” video mentions that farmers are using a method called conservation tillage. This method reduces soil erosion and allows the soil to soak rainfall better. Conservation tillage involves not plowing the field after cultivation; the new crop is planted directly in the residue of the old crop. While cotton cultivation is currently unsustainable, it can become sustainable if farmers begin to use the processes mentioned in the Cotton Inc. videos.

Sustainably Alternative

Have you noticed the recent increase in the amount of organic cotton garments sold in retail stores?

New innovative techniques and processes are being created and implemented in the textile industry to help with the rapidly declining state of the planet. While it is important that sustainable fibers and textiles are produced, that is not the only option. In order to make a real difference, the production process and life cycle of the garment must be sustainable.

Some of the alternatives to designing textile products with sustainability in mind include new dyeing techniques, organic cotton and wool, Poly(lactic acid), and fiber traceability through the supply chain. According to Charlene Ducas from Textile Exchange, there is a new dyeing method that involves using fluid state CO₂. This method was developed by DyeCoo Textile Systems as a way to reduce the amount of water used and polluted during textile production. A more developed and popular alternative is the use of Organic fibers such as organic cotton and wool. According to the Materials Diversity chapter of Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, organic cotton is produced using methods that reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and growth regulators. Organic textiles are also great because they usually involve Fair Trade practices such as giving premiums to farmers for their products. My favorite alternative is the use of Poly(lactic acid) in textile production.  According to the Materials Diversity article, PLA is a thermoplastic polyester made from 100% renewable resources, such as corn. It is my favorite alternative because the product is biodegradable unlike many synthetic materials. Finally, Charlene Ducas mentions the importance of fiber traceability in the supply chain because it allows retailers and consumers to understand how their garments or textiles were produced.

When designing textile products, it is important that a retailer or manufacturer understands the impact their product has on the environment. In order to be more sustainable, they should consider focusing on factors such as water use, chemical use and durability. If a manufacturer were to focus on just these three things, they could greatly reduce the impact they have. Durability is especially important because it means the customer will get more use out of the product and there will be less waste. Reduced chemical use means that the amount of pollution will decrease and workers will not be working with such hazardous materials. Also, according to the Materials Diversity article, 50% of the total cost of cotton production comes from pesticides. Informing manufacturers about this will encourage them to not use pesticides, or reduce the amount used, because they will be able to save money.

As a consumer, I know that I would take great pride in purchasing a garment that was made using sustainable practices. The increase in retailers offering organic cotton merchandise shows that consumers are interested in buying sustainable fashions. Though, because some of these alternatives are new, some consumers might be discouraged. For example, the use of CO₂ to create PLA might freak some consumers out while more adventurous consumers will enjoy the innovative production process and be willing to try it out.