Sustainable Textiles
Life Cycle and Environmental Impact

Richard Blackburn (Edited by)

9781845694531, Elsevier Science

Hardback, published 19 October 2009

416 pages
23.3 x 15.6 x 2.7 cm, 0.78 kg

"Overall, this broad-based reference tool for fabric specifiers represents a solid investment. …neatly outlines how the environmental profile of cotton, wool and synthetic fibre-based textiles could be improved. …a more holistic view of textile production." --Ecotextile News

Environmental issues are playing an increasingly important role in the textile industry, both from the point of view of government regulation and consumer expectations. Sustainable textiles reviews ways of achieving more sustainable materials and technologies as well as improving recycling in the industry.The first part of the book discusses ways of improving sustainability at various points in the supply chain. Chapters discuss how sustainability can be integrated into textile design, ensuring more sustainable production of both natural and synthetic fibres, improving sustainability in processes such as dyeing as well as more environmentally-friendly technologies including enzyme and plasma technologies. The second part of the book reviews consumer perceptions of recycled textiles, eco-labelling, organic textiles and the use of recycled materials in textile products.With a distinguished editor and an impressive range of international contributors, Sustainable textiles is an important reference for the textile industry and those researching this important topic.

Part 1 Sustainability through the supply chain: Achieving sustainable textiles: A designer’s perspective
Sustainable cotton production and processing
Sustainable wool production and processing
Sustainable synthetic fibres: The case of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA) and other fibres
Enzyme biotechnology for sustainable textiles
Key sustainability issues in textile dyeing
Environmentally-friendly plasma technologies for textiles
Understanding and improving textile recycling: A systems perspective. Part 2 Applications and case studies: Consumer perceptions of recycled textile fibres
Eco-labelling for textiles and apparel
Organic cotton: Production practices and post harvest considerations
The role of nanotechnology in sustainable textiles
The use of recovered plastic bags in nonwoven fabrics
Environmentally-friendly flame-retardant textiles
Systems change for sustainability in textiles.

Subject Areas: Waste treatment & disposal [TQSR], Materials science [TGM]