There
are two broad categories of fabrics- natural fabrics and
synthetic fabrics. Both of them are
derived from different fibers. The
natural fibers are used to make the natural fabrics, for example
cotton fabric and
silk fabric. Synthetic fibers are made from
chemicals that are further used to make synthetic fabrics such as
polyester fabric and
nylon fabric. There is a general
understanding that all natural fabrics are eco friendly because they are not
made up of chemicals. However, it is not a fact. There are certain criteria
which a fabric must fulfill before being labeled as an eco-friendly fabric? What is an Eco-Friendly Fabric?
Eco-Friendly Fabrics are those fabrics which do not pose any harm to environment. If a fabric is made from fibers, for example, cotton fibers that are grown with the help of pesticides or genetically- altered seeds, then it can not be said eco-friendly. However, if these fibers are grown with the help of crop rotation, composted manures, cover crops, trap crops for controlling insects and pests and innovative weeding strategies instead of herbicides and toxic defoliants, then it can be called an eco-friendly fabric. Cotton grown in such a manner is popular as organic cotton. Now, if this organic cotton is subjected to chemicals during fabric manufacturing process, then such a fabric again can't be called eco-friendly fabric. Therefore, eco-friendly fabrics are necessarily processed in nature friendly ways causing minimal harm to the environment.
Popular Eco-friendly Fabrics
Eco-friendly fabrics have fast gained popularity due to the rising environmental awareness among masses. Some of these fabrics are widely used for clothing and other purposes and some others are on their way to become popular.
Bamboo fabric:
It
is made from bamboo fiber, which is derived from the pulp of bamboo plants.
Bamboo fabric can be called eco- friendly only when bamboo fiber is
extracted mechanically and there is no chemical processing involved
throughout. Bamboo fabrics are soft, smooth, absorbent and naturally
antibacterial. Due to its luxurious and silky feel, bamboo is preferred as
an apparel fabric. Due to its absorption
and antibacterial qualities, it is also used as
home furnishing fabric,
especially for making towels and kids blankets.Banana fabric: It is made up of banana fiber obtained from banana plant. Banana fiber is extracted by hand stripping and decortication- a mechanized process in which, cut stalks are first crushed by roller and fibers are scraped by means of revolving wheels with knives. As such, it is a 100% eco-friendly fiber. Banana fabric is strong, shiny, lightweight and bio-degradable which absorbs moisture very efficiently. It is a fine fabric for rugs and carpets. However, it is also finding wide acceptance in fashion circles for making stylish clothing.
Milk Protein Fabric:
It is made from milk yarn, which is obtained from milk. Milk protein fiber
contains eighteen amino-acids, that are beneficial to human health. It is
often spun with cashmere, silk, cotton, wool,
ramie and other fibers to make
fabric blends. The milk yarn fabric is
very skin friendly and keeps away allergies and even wrinkles. It is used in
making apparels and home furnishings like bedsheets. It is also a very good
hosiery fabric due to its skin friendly
nature and is primarily used in manufacturing top-grade underwear,
loungewear, etc.