Sustainability in textiles is a complex conversation, involving a maze of processes, vendors, and opaque practices. The misunderstood supply chain often leads to ‘greenwashing’, creating a misguided perception of what ‘sustainability’ truly is in our industry.
A significant 24% of garment emissions stem from the raw material stage - farm/crude to fibre. Our (Canvaloop) approach revolves around turning agricultural waste into textile-grade fibres on a large scale, ensuring a sustainable solution for raw materials sourcing. We are ensuring that the process of conversion is as low impact as possible and the garments made from our fibres are bio-degradable in natural environment.
An example of widespread greenwashing in the raw materials stage is the use of Recycled Polyester (RPET) from PET bottles. Many hail it as a sustainable alternative due to its cheaper cost than cotton. However, the production of RPET is highly energy-intensive, can only be recycled a finite number of times, and with each wash, garments made from RPET release up 1900 microscopic plastic fibers, causing harm to marine life and entering our food chain.
In fact, a study by Plymouth University found that more than a third of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles, including RPET. This highlights the contrast between RPET’s perceived sustainability and its actual environmental impact.
As we engage in conversations about sustainability, let’s move away from greenwashing and towards a holistic understanding of our industry’s impact.
Eager to hear your thoughts!
Canvaloop converts agriculture waste of certain crops into textile grade fibres. The fibres a good substitute for cotton and certain applications of synthetics as well. The 3 step process ( bio-chemical, enzymatic and mechanical) of conversion of agri-waste to textile fibres is also low-impact. The bio-chemical process uses biodegradable chemicals and heat used is generated through castor briquettes. And the water used in the process is reused infinitely in closed loop. The garments made from our fibres are also bio-degradable in natural environment.
LCA study shows that Canvaloop’s offerings consume 99% less water and 78% less energy than materials such as cotton/polyester.
Hi @shreyansm - thanks for sharing! So, we all have watched the viral video - conversion of Banana trees into Sanitary Pads. All these are fascinating, do we have any other examples? Can you explain the journey of manufacturing jeans (that you have displayed on your Insta page)?
What are the price comparisons with normal affordable jeans or other clothes? And can we achieve a price break-even for normal clothes and sustainable jeans at whatever scale possible?
Also a request, can you go into detail (Please avoid proprietary parts) so all can learn?
