ECO-FRIENDLY FABRICS ARE FASTBECOMING A RAGE IN INDIA, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY OFFER A WHOLE NEW VARIETY OF CLOTHING, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY ARE MUCH EASIER ON THE ENVIROMENT.

RAMIE, BANANA, PINEAPPLE, BAMBOO, kapock, maize, corn, soya,casein, wild silk, non-mulberry silk and ahimsa silk are just some varieties of ecofriendly fabrics. And these are now gaining popularity in India too, not just with the nature lovers but also with the manufacturers, retailers and fashion designers, who are rapidly venturing into design and manufacture of eco-friendly clothes.

SOURCING AND WEAVING

So what are eco-friendly fabrics, you may ask? They are renewable and replenishable, and do not involve excessive use of chemical dyes that are usually used for bleaching and colouring fabrics. If not biodegradable, these fabrics can also be recycled. They are generally made with natural fibres, recycled polyester and waste silk sari yarns, which are either woven directly into the fabric or interspersed with other yarns. They are alternative fibre sources for weaving natural fabrics. So much so that leading international brands like Nike, Marks & Spencer, Patagonia and Cotton Ginny are increasing the percentage of organic fibres in their apparel. These command 10-20 per cent price premium in the market.

Millions are invested in Research and Development (R&D) and technology in order to discover and harness the potential of the natural fibres. The dedicated technology, usually patented, is what transforms the basic fibre, harnessing its property and making it perfect for modernday wear. For instance, the Spanish textile giant DOGI International, which along with the company Nurel, created a new line of fabric using Aloe Vera, spent nearly 27 million euros on its research. Technology too, plays a key role in everything from extraction of fibres, spinning them into yarn, combining them with other fibres like linen, cotton, silk, wool, tencel, etc., to even dyeing, printing and weaving. Unlike in India, where such alternatives are truly the preserve of the handloom industry, worldwide, the natural properties or fabrics are harnessed to create a variety of yarns, which can be used in the most sophisticated composite mills to weave fabrics of any design.

BAMBOO BUSINESS

In India, bamboo is making waves in suits and furnishings. It is the newest natural and biodegradable source of fibre. A fast replenishing plant, bamboo fibre is made from young bamboo plants that are 3-4 years old. Also, it is a natural cellulose fibre that has several inherent properties, which helps to create excellent fabric. The fibre has natural anti-bacterial, bacteria-static and deodorizing properties that get transformed on to the yarn, fabric and garment. Lab tests have shown that the fabric retains these properties even
after fifty washes. Bamboo fabric is made from 100 per cent bamboo fibre yarn. The fabric has breathability, is excellent at moisture absorption and is also cool, thus ideal for sweaty summers. It absorbs about four times the moisture of cotton.

Bamboo is so popular in this genre that fashion designers are also using it to produce eco-friendly clothes. In India most of the bamboo fabric is woven using yarn imported from China. Very little is manufactured within the country, even though we have the necessary resources. Ajay Kumar, Senior Technology Specialist, National Mission on Bamboo Application says, “At present, the bamboo fibre is imported from China at $2 to 2.5 kg. It is mixed with cotton to convert it into yarn.” Raymond launched bamboo shirts in India sometime back, in a variety of great colours. European countries such as Germany are also heavily into natural fibres, though the Indian market is still extremely niche.

PERFECT BLENDS

Silk, especially the non-mulberry variety is quite popular in the country for generating eco-friendly fabrics. In fact India is the only country that produces the much coveted muga, eri and tussar silks that were the hallmarks of the North East. Today they are produced in Uttarakhand and woven with wool and tussar. The property of these fibres is harnessed to the fullest in order to achieve the required fabrics. Eri has thermostatic properties, while muga is known for its sheen and gloss. Rajshree Keisham of Natural Textile Collection from Manipur, specialising in eri and muga, says, “The demand for these silks has increased, but we still have to market them well and create awareness amongst the manufacturers so that they can consider producing them.”

Another very popular fibre is the one made from soya bean. It has good properties and is renewable. The fiber is manufactured using residue of soya beans left over from manufacturing tofu, with cutting edge bioengineering technologies.The proteins are extracted from the residual oil of soya bean cakes. These are cooked and the fibres are produced using a wet spinning process. Acetylatingstabilises it and it is cut into short staples. It has many properties such as superior moisture absorption and ventilation properties. Also, it can be easily draped, is soft and usually likened with cashmere. It also has anti-bacterial agents, is easy to maintain and is wrinkle-free with less shrinkage.

The kapok fibre is extracted from the fruit of the wild kapok tree. A tropical tree, it is found in abundance in South East Asia and West Africa. The fibre is obtained from the seedpods on the tree. It is the lightest natural fibre in the world. Given its lightness, it was initially considered rather difficult to spin. However Gebruder Otto invented a spinning technology to develop a new yarn called piumafi – a blend of handpicked superior cotton and kapok. The fabric made from this is light, soft and silky. Since the kapok trees are wild, they are not treated with fertilizers or pesticides. They are renewable and recyclable, and the spinning process is eco-friendly too.

FRUITY FORAYS

Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are using banana and pineapple fibres in large quantities today. The pineapple fibre is woven into a highly fashionable fabric through a method called pina-weaving. Pineapple fibre constitutes the traditional Philippines fabric. Its yarns are obtained from the leaves of wild pineapples. With efforts from the Pineapple Textile Research Institute, the process of extraction has been mechanized and made simpler and less time-consuming. In India SITRA has been doing pioneering work in pineapple fibres and the yarns are being used in the handloom sector at Kannur. Recent attempts have also beenmade to set up a fibre extraction plant in Tripura, in association with an NGO for the same. However most of the yarn being produced is still restricted to the handloom sector.

DOGI’s fabrics use nano particles of Aloe Vera. These smart fabrics provide moisturising, anti-oxidant, anti-ageing and calming effects on the skin and body. The fabric retains the plant extracts permanently, and this is the result of a four-year research by Nurel, a company that specialises in producing high-tech thread.

All said and done, there is a lot happening in the research and discovery of new alternatives for eco-friendly fabrics today. Hence there is no doubt that organic fabrics are fast becoming a trend that ishere to stay!