Natural fibres: far away and close to home

As published in MapleLine Magazine: Aug.5, 2009

by Mary P. Brooke

Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the dawn of civilization.

According to a recent Scientific American article (Aug.2009), one factor contributing to the disappearance of Neandertals (also called Neanderthals) was their lack of sophistication with clothing construction, compared to ‘modern man’ who left evidence of having used sewing needles that would have threaded garments more tightly (protecting from wind and moisture).

Over the past 50 to 60 years, natural fibres – derived from a wide range of plants and animals – have been displaced in our clothing, household furnishing, industries and agriculture by synthetic fibres such as acrylic, nylon, polyester and poly-propylene. Synthetics have been cheaper to produce (from petrochemicals) into uniform strengths, lengths and colours than products from natural fibres that have been harvested by farmers and used in handmade and custom manufacturing.

Synthetics do not wrinkle, they hold their colour and shape, can be made waterproof, and are generally quite affordable. As fabric against the skin, however, synthetics do not breathe well, so for some people natural fibres are still the optimal choice for comfort and health. Natural fibre textiles absorb perspiration and release it into the air, a process called ‘wicking’ that creates natural ventilation. Due to a more compact molecular structure, synthetic fibres cannot capture air and ‘breathe’ in the same way; that has its uses, such as for synthetic sweatsuits intentionally worn to help with body weight reduction.

In recent decades the economic survival of farmers and workers in developing nations who grow, harvest and ship natural fibres has been threatened by modern synthetic fibre manufacturing. The United Nations in 2006 resolved to launch the 2009 International Year of Natural Fibres as a way to draw attention to the economic impact of high-tech manufacturing on communities in developing nations.

With the supplies of petroleum eventually running out (a decline in peak production is optimistically estimated to occur by 2020), the production of natural fibres into various modern lifestyle products is more important than ever. One example of a return to natural fibres in modern-use products is that of plastic foam car seat padding being replaced with layers of coconut fibre (coir) which retains body heat and traps perspiration, and has a natural resistance to fungus and mites. The International Year of Natural Fibres website reports that hemp fibre is recommended for household textiles in that is has a high capacity for absorption of toxic gases.

The locally owned and operated Salts Organic clothing store in Sooke has since 2005 marketed and sold natural fibre clothing online and wholesale, with owner Jennifer Graham opening her retail store on Otter Point Rd in town centre in 2007. Graham says she is constantly improving her products to make them more eco-friendly.

“People are looking for something unique that is locally made. They want clothing with quality as well as being ethical (not made in a sweat shop at the expense of women and families),” she said in a recent interview. Sewing right there in the store, Graham produces a full line of “brave green clothing” that is “stretchy and comfy”, including tops, hoodies, dresses, skirts and pants. Fabrics include organic cotton, soy, hemp and bamboo.

“From every purchase we send 1% of what the customer has paid to an organization called One Percent for Humanity,” says Jennifer Graham, who juggles her business along with raising her preschool-age daughter. Business at the store has been a bit slower in 2009 due to the overall recession, but online sales have continued at the same pace or even better. Jennifer has responded to the local buyers by finding and creating some lower price-point items in the under-$30 to under-$40 range.

The SaltsOrganic.com website, in addition to its catalog that will include a Fall line in October/November, offers in-depth information about the fabrics used for clothing sold at the store. Soy protein fibre apparently has anti-bacterial and UV radiation prevention properties. The website explains how bamboo grows quickly without pesticides or herbicides; fabric made from bamboo provides natural anti-bacterial action without causing skin reactions.

Natural fibres play a key role in the emerging “green” economy based on energy efficiency, the use of renewable feed stocks in polymer products, industrial processes that reduce carbon emissions and recyclable materials that minimize waste. Natural fibres have been renewed by nature and human ingenuity for millennia. They are carbon neutral, absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as they produce. During processing they generate mainly organic wastes and leave residues that can be used to generate electricity or make ecological housing material. At the end of their lifecycle they are 100% biodegradable; they can be composted to improve soil structure or incinerated with no emission of pollutants and the release of no more carbon than the fibre absorbed during their lifetimes. MM

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This article appeared on pages 20 and 21 in MapleLine Magazine (Fall 2009 issue / Aug.-Oct.2009). Order a back issue.