Future in the World of Fabrics — Upcycling, Reuse, and Recycling
By: Forest Digital Ltd
Tags: Recycling, World Of Fabrics, Fabric Printing, Sustainable Fashion, Organic Fabric

As we invade the third decade of the millennium, we must know that global waste engendering is one of the most insistent issues of our time — an unavoidable by-product of capitalist and consumerist increase. A crisis that is not passing away and is getting worse each year.

The pandemic has brought more attention to textile and clothing supply chain issues. Still, particularly in Fast Fashion, much of this has been about figuring out how to make the same products more effectively.

Is this going to be the next big thing in the business, and if so, how would that handle it? But underneath it all, there’s a growing interest in more positive ways to extend the life of durable textile and clothing goods, such as reusing, recycling, and upcycling.

This is an important point, but it is more widespread than just recycling, especially with customers and environmental activists looking to prolong the life cycle of fabric-based products.

As per the research, it points out; there are still many roadblocks to overcome to recycle textiles efficiently, including fabrics with mixed fiber content. It may take some time to get where we need to be, both from a recycling technology prospect and the ready access to recycling services.

That’s why brands must be trying multiple avenues to decrease the amount of textile waste that is either dried or ends up in landfills around the globe. There is an opportunity to form a textile recovery infrastructure through resale channels with distributing capabilities that feed into textile recycling. Consortiums will be essential to building the textile restoration value chain and promoting the circular economy in apparel and other textile merchandise.

Reuse and Resale:

One perspective of the circular economy for textile-based products is reuse and resale. We have long had saving shops to turn to when our wardrobes get overcrowded, but often those bequeathed items end up in the landfill anyway.

Not to say that we should stop bestowing to thrift stores — they remain an essential part of the apparel life cycle.

But giving consumers choices to offload outcast items is a good thing. Both contributions to thrift shops and broader resale ventures can extend the life cycle of these items.

Because they can monetize their articles, it’s another piece to the puzzle that may incentivize customers to engage in more sustainable practices.

As per the current study, Forest Digital demonstrates an appetite for services like theirs and provides platforms for apparel resale.

Universe has its own rules to play, and one of them being — everything that comes from nature; something that springs to life, should be given back to her, decayed and in its purest form.

Being conscious inhabitants of this planet, we all should contribute to this by reducing waste and repurposing items that we own for the longest time — to move one step closer to a Green Earth!

One thing that clings to our mind is to take small actions to talk about and spread knowledge about reducing our carbon footprints in all possible ways to help support the environment a little longer.

We can provide this system in every sphere, but let us commence with the clothing and fabric sector as we wish to thrive there.

Many practitioners, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists have recently paved their journey towards sustainability of fabrics — The 3R for Fabric- Reuse- Rework and Recycling — by making multipurpose fashion items by donating

repurposed clothes to the necessitous folks, and many others.

Why Are Sustainable Fabrics Significant?

Sustainable fabrics try to reduce damage, whether environmental damage from water, land, air pollution or moral damage from human rights violations.

Sustainable fabrics are environmentally beneficial because they use fewer resources like water and energy for creation.

They are likewise biodegradable, which means they do not collect and cause land and water pollution.

They’re also safer to use because there are no residual toxic chemicals from the production process. Petroleum-based clothing like nylon and polyester need exorbitant amounts of water in their creation method.

On the other hand, sustainable clothing is usually made from natural or recycled stuff that needs a minimal chemical method and uses fewer resources–both energy and water.

Toxic chemicals are used when creating stylish clothing, emptied into oceans to build up in wildlife bodies, making them sick and hazardous for consumption.

Heavy metals like lead and chemicals like formaldehyde in the dyeing method also cause these toxins to collect in the clothing and contact our skin, which is harmful to our health.

Additionally, the transport of goods and raw materials from country to country intensifies our carbon footprint. Sustainable brands intend to locally source their materials, decreasing transport costs and also boosting local economies.

Moreover, many big brands source their materials from third-world nations where working conditions are deplorable. Apprentices toil under life-threatening situations, are paid below minimum wage, and then there’s also child labor.

Sustainable labels tend to ensure these workers fair wages, safe working environments, and flexible working hours.

Digital fabric printing is divided into sections based on the type of dye used. In pigment print, Japanese water-based inks are being used.

Color printing allows for using any substrate, i.e., cotton, viscose, silk, wool, and fabric blends.

Reactive or acid dye presswork uses chemical dyes that are ingested into the fabric.

In dye-sublimation, inks go from solid-state to gaseous stane (bypassing the liquid state) and bond with artificial fibers of the material during the heating phase. This method allows for printing on cellulose fibers, silk, and even wool.

Forest Digital, a digital fabric printing service provider in the UK employs all these steps in its efforts towards sustainable production. The group uses digital printing, which reduces energy consumption by 40%.

The printing machine uses non-toxic inks and decreases water usage by 75%. Both our engine and inks carry the Blue Sign and OEKO-Tex eco-passport, a certification that means they meet eco-friendly standards.

As a top digital fabric services supplier in the UK, our materials are devoid of counterfeit fibers like polyester. We reduce water, land, and air pollution due to textile distribution and burning.