Textile pollution is getting some mainstream attention. CNN recently posted an article on its website about the pollution problems in China’s Pearl River delta. While the communist nation’s pollution woes have been highlighted in the media before, CNN’s piece goes a step further, specifically demonstrating how textile and denim dyeing is a major cause of the Pearl’s pollution. In the town of Xintang, textile and denim dyeing is a big business. According...

Known as ‘the elephant in the room‘ the textile industry has a heavy impact on the environment. As current practices are unsustainable, companies, environmentalists, and consumers are looking at strategies for reducing the textile carbon footprint. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, industrial manufacturing accounted for 18.5 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in 2004. The textile industry, which outputs 60 billion kg...

Water.  Our lives depend on it.  It’s so plentiful that the Earth is sometimes called the blue planet – but freshwater is a remarkably finite resource that is not evenly distributed everywhere or to everyone.  The number of people on our planet is growing fast, and our water use is growing even faster.  About 1 billion people lack access to potable water, and about 5 million people die each year from poor drinking water, or poor sanitation often resulting...

Until comparatively recent times we relied on natural fibres to produce our clothes, cloths, carpets, cordage, paper, ships sails, and insulation and building materials. The use of natural fibres, both plant and animal, to meet our needs goes back thousands of years and plays a significant role in history. In the history of natural fibres, one of the oldest recorded uses of plant fibre for fabrics is the use of hemp which was already being cultivated in China in...

Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibers has increased dramatically,  causing the natural fiber industry to lose much of its market share. In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2009 the International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF); a year-long initiative focused on raising global awareness about natural fibers with specific focus on increasing market demand to help ensure the long-term sustainability for farmers who rely heavily on...

What does sustainability mean for Dow Corning? It means working with our customers to develop materials and solutions that help address some of the most pressing needs of our society. It means acting responsibly in our own operations to protect our environment and our people. It means partnering with communities to help foster a quality of life for today and for future generations. The journey towards a sustainable future has started … As we work to create...

Natural fibre industries employ millions of people 
and contribute to a greener planet. The International Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on 22 January 2009, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. Objectives raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres; promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fibres industries; encourage appropriate policy responses from...