“In sustainability, there is no such thing as a single-frame approach” states the Kate Fletcher in The Design Journeys. As with all things, every action has an equal and opposite reaction - sustainability must be treated with this law in mind. The fashion industry is beginning to understand the ripple effect of casting their stone.
A fellow designer in my firm recently urged me to begin choosing natural materials over synthetics in my design decisions because they are “naturally” sustainable. She is correct in that synthetics do contribute to the burning of fossil fuels, yet she hadn’t grasped the bigger picture. Essentially all textiles we choose have some large scale impact the planet. According to Fletcher “while there is no dispute that producing synthetic fibers impacts people and the environment, natural fiber cultivation and processing is also high impact.”
Synthetics are often seen as “bad” while natural fibers are seen as a more environmental choice. This generality is based on the understanding that synthetic materials are chemical and fossil fuel intensive. Polyester is the largest produced synthetic in the industry, second only to the natural fiber cotton. Cotton is termed natural, but 99% cotton produced is inorganic according to Charline Ducas. Cotton and other natural fibers require intensive agricultural processing such as high amounts of water and pesticides. In terms of a systematic sustainability approach, the harmful effects of growing and processing natural fibers is simply a trade-off that must be made against synthetic fibers.
But sustainability for the apparel industry goes well beyond fiber production. Ducas challenges the industry in asking “Can we not be more clever in the way we do things?” She calls on increased innovation in textile manufacturing and higher demand for sustainable design integration. Transparency in the supply chain is of high importance to increasing the sustainability of our industry. I encouraged my colleague to speak with our firm’s president to encourage a more sustainable supply chain if she wants to make a larger impact, but to continue making smart trade off design decisions.
Hi Brittney, you bring up some good points that Charline brought up in her speech. The question of natural vs. synthetic is usually an easy one for people to answer because they assume that synthetic equals bad and that natural equals good, but as you have pointed out that is not necessarily the case. Some organic (natural) cotton is not grown sustainably, yet it is still a natural fiber. You mention high water and pesticide use in the production process of cotton, yet most people do not know these facts. I think that if we can teach people how these fibers are grown/made then it will help in the process of becoming more transparent and sustainable.
ReplyDeleteI agree, education is key.
DeleteHello Brittney, I think you have made a lot of good points. Another avenue to look at in the natural vs. synthetic argument that might be interesting to look at is the number of jobs produced. Synthetic there are factory jobs, and with organic cotton, there is some factory jobs, but many more farming related jobs. Also, the organic cotton can be composted at the end of life, whereas the synthetic fibers must be recycled or more likely put into a landfill where it will take a substantial amount of time to break down. I think you could have been a little more clear in stating that unorganic cotton uses pesticides where as organic cotton uses a lot of manual labor to de-weed the soil. Good blog post as usual, hope you had a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteBoth avenues supply jobs, they are just different types of employment. Not sure if all organic cotton can be composted, what if inorganic dyes are used?
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