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Cotton and Polyester
We can’t talk about the textile industry without automatically thinking of words like cotton and polyester, plus, today, sustainability, since this industry is considered to be the second most polluting in the world.
Cotton is by far the most important fiber among natural fibers and has been used since ancient times. The oldest cotton textiles date back to around 5800 B.C. and were discovered in Mexico, but it was not until the Middle Ages that this fiber began to be widely used in Europe.
Polyester, being a synthetic fiber, has a much more recent origin. As we know it, it was first produced in 1941, which they called “therylene”. The name originates from the contraction of the abbreviation “ther”, which refers to the term “thermoplastic”, with “ylene”, which refers to the chemical structure of the polyethylene compound. Experimental production of yarn from this fiber began only in 1947, and it was in 1953 that large-scale production took place. Polyester (PET) began to gain importance considerably in 1990 and today 80% of all filament yarns are produced from this fiber.
In 2020, approximately 32 m tons of natural fibers were produced, of which cotton stands out by a wide margin. These figures contrast with the 81 m ton of chemical fibers produced on a synthetic or cellulosic basis, of which polyester (PET) accounts for the largest production, mainly as filament yarn.
It is estimated that about 40 million factories worldwide produce natural fibers, employing more than 200 million people, of which 29 million are involved in cotton production.
Cotton production is dominated by countries such as India and China. Also in Africa, cotton production is highly valued since it is there that one of the rarest cottons in the world is produced, the Egyptian Maco cotton, coveted for its quality.
Until the 1990s Western Europe and the USA dominated the production of synthetic fibers, but nowadays 80% of these fibers are manufactured in Asia, mainly in China, due to cheaper production costs and the logistical advantages of having locally produced fiber.
As the consumption of textile fibers is expected to continue to grow and considering the social and ecological impact of this growth on the world, it is urgent to find more sustainable alternatives to these fibers widely used in the industry.
The fact that younger consumers are more interested in sustainability issues than older generations, coupled with brand commitments, means that the demand for more sustainable cotton continues to increase. In addition, because the world population is focusing on products of good quality and durability from a technical and performance perspective, the market can also see increasing attention being paid to synthetic fibers. To be able to meet all these needs, growing interest has emerged in alternatives such as organic cotton and recycled fibers, including cotton and polyester.
Organic cotton is produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. The plant is grown using only natural fertilizers and is then harvested and stored without rodenticides or fungicides, and when washed, it is not bleached or treated with any chemicals, but only with natural soap.
There are two types of recycled polyester: one that is mechanically recycled, characterized by a strongly yellowish hue and should therefore only be used for dyeing with dark colors (black and navy blue); another that is chemically recycled. Both behave very similarly to virgin polyester and manage to bring value to the circular economy chain.
The future of our planet is in the hands of producers and consumers, that is, all those involved in the textile industry chain. Given that consumers themselves continue to report a lack of clarity and information about more sustainable alternatives, it is up to us, professionals and producers in this industry, to bridge these gaps and educate our consumers about the advantages of using these fibers to ensure a better and safer future for all.
References:
(Sustainability Innovation in the Textile Industry: A Systematic Review，2023）
(Veit，2022）
Fibers: History, Production, Properties, Market – Dieter Veit – Google Libros
(Natural and Sustainable? Consumers’ Textile Fiber Preferences，2023）
(Karthiky otros，2014）
Environmental Analysis of Textile Value Chain: An Overview | SpringerLink
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