sustainable?

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FABRICS?

The textile world is loaded with people who have nothing to do but create problems. The latest which is not new has to do with sustain ability of fabrics. The problem that they have created follows how government works. In a nutshell government creates something and when they realize it is not working and in essance they have a problem they try to correct the problem and cause more problems. They never think maybe what they have done wouldn’t work in the first place, but they will not give up.

In the textile industry they have I believe for the most part walked from primarily cotton and wool fiber and initially opted for synthetic fibers. Okay synthetics do have their place and for many years there were no environmental problems associated with the materials made from these fibers.

Then the textile industry people said; plastic bottles are made from the same chemicals as the synthetic fiber; POLYESTER, and if we recycle the polyester into fiber, we will start to end plastic pollution in particularly the oceans of the world.

What these people with “good intentions” did not know nor do they know today has to do with how polyester fiber is actually made. They have zero knowledge of what DuPont and Celanese went through in their laboratories to make polyester fiber so it would not be an environmental problem. What these people with “good intentions” do not know is the fact that recycled polyester does not go through the same manufacturing process as new polyester fiber.

The end result is a fiber that breaks down and when garments are laundered the fibers that break away from the garments eventually go out to sea for sea creatures to ingest in some manner.

So, they created a problem and are now looking for ways to solve it.

Their answer is to produce poor quality products that do not last very long so you have to replace them and of course they want you to give them the item you are replacing so it is recycled. Now the item that is being replaced was made from recycled material to begin with.

These people really believe that we as a species will be able to eventually recycle the things, we use to make more things from these materials over and over again.

That being the case we will not have the need for new polyester fibers.

Of course, this supposedly will significantly reduce the amount of fiber that will enter the environment!

As for the reprocessing method it actually is so poor that the chemical components that make up the reprocessed polyester fiber are dangerous when they break down which did not happen when DuPont and Celanese made polyester fiber. So, the environmental problem started when the people with “good intentions” did what they did to begin with.

I sailed for 6 years 1 ½ years that I was a live aboard from NYC to the Bahamas and never saw any pollution!!! Except in the NYC harbor.

Textiles, sports and sustainability

July 13th, 2020 / By: IFAI / Feature

Major brands have led initiatives to improve sustainability in the textile industry.

by Marie O’Mahony

The sports industry has become one of the leading drivers of sustainability in textiles, after having got off to a slow start initially. Designers, such as Stella McCartney with her longstanding relationship with global sports brand adidas®, have played an important role in raising awareness across the sportswear industry—particularly once it was shown to be what the consumer wanted.

I am a retailer and have never heard from consumers that this is what they wanted, a figment of their imagination.

Today, the industry directly and indirectly provides impetus for the development of yarns, manufacturing processes and end products that are more sustainable than ever before.

This is a contradiction of what they are actually accomplishing, which is to make less quality which means less sustainable. They just want to make new stuff all the time.

Polyester and silk

The Circular Economy principles outlined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation challenge manufacturers to take into account the whole lifecycle of a product from raw material to reuse and final end of life. For many manufacturers and brands, it is a lot to take on at once.

I do not know who this Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation is but I do know they have zero knowledge of the textile industry so they should get their donating moneys somewhere else.

Adidas has proposed a Three Loop Strategy to put an end to plastic waste and move towards a circular future. The first is the Recycled Loop, made with recycled materials, the second is the Circular Loop, made to be remade (ideally from a single material type), and the third Regenerated Loop, which is made to be regenerated utilizing biotechnology such as the dress designed with Stella McCartney using biofabricated microsilk.

I think the adidas people like so many in the textile industry are doing as adidas is just “going in circles”.

Bioleather

Biotechnology has long attracted interest, not just from the sports industry, but from automotive seating manufacturers and footwear brands. Finding a more

Traditionally, material sources have been a closely guarded secret, but this is changing as the consumer is demanding that their brand not just say but demonstrate how they are ethical and sustainable. The result is that information about supply chains and materials is becoming more open.

Guarded secret correct because they are doing nothing. Again, I know of no one in the consumer side of the market “demanding” anything. I have no knowledge of any companies “demonstrating” what they are doing is “ethical and sustainable”. I also have never read an expose of the supply chain, a joke.

Just before I finished this article, I received the following email testimonial.

Mickey thank you very much. So, if you want sustainable products there is but one choice in the outdoor industry today; Wiggys!

As a very satisfied customer over the years I have always trusted the workmanship and quality of your sleeping bags and especially the sleeping pad. I have always gotten the response as to how I’ve endured miserable cold damp campouts and my friends have covered themselves with numerous wool blankets and to no comfort for them. Even though the summer months are here I have utilized that ground pad once again for comfort on my hidden resting spot and enjoyed the results.

Another reason for another pad purchase is for my 12 year Grandson whose going on “30” in wisdom and he’s already coming close to my height. He has had the opportunity to try my pad and luckily I retrieved it before he was going to appropriate it for himself. A fine birthday gift and one I know he will enjoy for many years while on wildlife adventures.

Also, the face masks I purchased prior to this recent order have proven themselves during this “pandemic” issue and also while riding ATV searches, comfortable and easily washable and dry quickly. The ear bands secure the masks no matter the type of environment.

I have received a lot of comments and carry the extras in a zip lock bag to exchange out for myself.

Whether or not my associates will listen to me is a testament on my part of the quality products you make available. It’s not my concern as the constant complaining of others purchasing useless items on their part from other manufacturers will never cease to amaze me.

Sincerely,

Mickey Mikulis