Sustainable Vegan Textiles: In the Fashion Industry by 2050

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this article is to introduce and inform consumers to the benefits of sustainable vegan textiles in the fashion industry.

Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu defines sustainable fashion as “Sustainable fashion, which is a term used for describing the clothing that is designed for longer lifetime uses, produced in ethical production systems using materials and processes that are not harmful to environment and the workers and which incorporates the fair trade principles with sweatshop-free labour conditions and makes use of eco-labelled or recycled materials, gained favour by the fashion industry specialists and the consumption market” (Muthu 2019).

With textiles currently being the second largest polluting industry in the world it has never been more important to look at sustainable textile alternatives. Throughout this article we will look at sustainable vegan alternatives to animal based products in the textile industry including fungi, pineapple, seaweed, orange peel, hemp, coconut, bamboo, corn, soy bean and yeast cells.

Looking to the future of 2050 we will discuss what the future of the fashion industry will be made up of and how we go about making it happen.

HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION

It’s important to have sustainable vegan textiles because currently the second largest polluting industry in the world is textiles. According to the World Bank, during the process of dyeing and finishing fabrics 20% of water pollution is caused from textile processing (Aishwariya 2020). The middle of the 20th century marked the rise in synthetic fibres (non-biodegradable) and the extreme decrease for natural fibre industries (biodegradable) (Asim et al. 2015). Studies revealed by The University of California Santa Barbara found 2 grams of microfibvres per washing machine cycle. The University of California Davis revealed studies showing one-fifth of fish sold at the local market contained plastic clothing fibres harming ocean creatures and consumed by humans is a real issue. Therefore, sustainable vegan textiles are important in the fashion industry because they will biodegrade, reducing the negative impact on the environment, animals and human consumption of plastic.

Sustainable vegan textiles are also important to reduce the harm and exploitation of animals. Investigations made by animal welfare organisation PETA have revealed sheep shearers kick, cut and hit sheep while working towards producing wool for clothing. Polyester and acrylic are thought by some people to be a good alternative to animal based products, however, polyester and acrylic derive from non-renewable petroleum, that doesn’t biodegrade and releases microparticles into the ocean with every wash (Klein 2018).

CURRENT FASHION TRENDS IN THE SUSTAINABLE VEGAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY USE SOME REVOLUTIONARY DESIGNS IDEAS INCLUDING:

Fungi can create a leather-like material when grown in sawdust, the roots of the fungi create a thick web that is then dyed, compressed, dried and embossed. Taking only a couple of weeks, compared to years needed to raise a cow which requires land, feed and medical resources. Cows also exude methane emissions which contributes to global warming (Jones 2020).

“Ruminant livestock can produce 250 to 500 L of methane per day. This level of production results in estimates of the contribution by cattle to global warming that may occur in the next 50 to 100 yr to be a little less than 2%.” (Johnson & Johnson 1995)

Pineapple leaves are made into a leather-like material, (Kamarudin & Yusof 2016) by using the discarded leaves on pineapple farms in tropical regions (Di Ciancia 2017) (Kohlbacher 2019). No extra land, water, fertiliser or pesticides are required to create the textile and bring more income to farmers in developing countries ( There’s finally a viable alternative to leather and it’s made from pineapple leaves 2016).

Seaweed can create a yarn-like textile that can be used for healthcare & hygiene products replacing chemical based synthetic antimicrobial finishes on medical textiles (Janarthanan & Senthil Kumar 2017).

Orange peel is used to create a yarn and viscose-like textile by separating the cellulose and fibre from the orange peel. Orange peels are a by-product from juice and jam manufacturers. Therefore, no extra land, trees, machinery and chemicals are used to harvest this sustainable textile. (Aishwariya 2020)

Other sustainable vegan textile solutions include recycled clothing and other plant based textiles such as hemp, coconut fibre, bamboo, corn, and soybeans. Yeast cells are used in a dish to produce silk and leather. Bolt Threads use the yeast cell technology to collaborate with fashion designer Stella McCartney and Patagonia (Klein 2018).

SPECULATIVE VISION

The future of sustainable fashion is going in the right direction and by 2050 innovative scientific technology will be a leading factor in utilising plant based items including orange peel and fungi being more affordable and a part of leading brands including Witchery, Stella McCartney and Big W. By 2050 all major brands will be utilising recycled cashmere, nylon and polyester in their fashion line. Stella McCartney is leading by example showcasing recycled and plant based material already in her latest fashion shows (Iberg 2015).

Orange Fibre is a company founded by Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena that creates a yarn and viscose-like material from citric waste. The company has received the Global Change Award in 2015 and the patented idea has since been purchased by H&M (Aishwariya 2020).

For a sustainable fashion industry to become mainstream by 2050 consumers will have to be more informed and make socially conscious decisions regarding the origins of their textiles purchased, forcing retailers to provide sustainably resourced and vegan textiles. To reinforce this position retailers will advertise the sustainable aspect of their fashion items and hire staff that value their ethos to further inform consumers (Ru 2018).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world and sustainable vegan textile alternatives are a positive solution to reducing the amount of pollution created from the current textile industry. Revolutionary technology merging with sustainable vegan textile alternatives utilising fungi, pineapple leaves, seaweed, orange peel, hemp, coconut fibre, bamboo, corn, soybean and yeast cells to supplement animal based textiles that reduce the amount of resources and chemical products used in the process. The future of the mainstream fashion industry by 2050 should contain a high percentage of sustainable vegan based material but only with the education, push and support from consumers at large.

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