How can biodegradable textiles create value and competitive advantage for textile businesses and brands?

Being in fashion industry from last 20 years, we have see that apparel creates a lot of landfills and pollution and keeping that in mind we have developed the fabrics that are fully bio degradable and not only in natural fibres but also in polyester. This is new invention and we are producing apparel like underwear etc which people wear and throw away and cannot be recycled.

By using biodegradable textiles, businesses demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and reducing their environmental impact. This can enhance their brand image and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. As environmental regulations become stricter, businesses that proactively adopt biodegradable textiles can stay ahead of compliance requirements.

Plant-based fabrics use far less non-renewable resources and are biodegradable at the end of their life cycle. Fabrics made from plant-based fibers absorb moisture which serves as a buffer and protects the body from the impact of cold and hot temperatures when people move outdoors. Some plant-based fabrics have softest and luxurious feel and excellent draping quality.

"Biodegradable" is a misnomer in textiles, especially when used in fashion. Though you may have tested the material and found it biodegrades, the testing usually doesn't monitor if the organic matter it has broken down into is healthy. When a natural fibre textile biodegrades then it should add nutrients to the composting cycle, but when synthetic inputs are used in any form, these will not biodegrade into the cycle in a beneficial way - they stick around. There's usually confusion over how to biodegrade - as yet there isn't one facility; you either landfill, incinerate, or try your luck at home. You can't realistically reduce the need for landfills and incinerators without first combatting the communication errors and consumer habits.

The definition of "biodegradable" needs to be questioned again. There is only environmental and social sustainability if firstly, the textile is produced in such a way in the first place, and secondly, that it does indeed biodegrade in a beneficial way. Regardless of the fibre type, if any synthetic inputs are utilised, this disrupts the beneficial biodegradability. As a textiles sustainability specialist and as an organic food grower, I have explored and experimented with the biodegradability of textiles and other materials. The language is confusing and should be regarded with caution when communicating with your your customers and the wider public.

Biodegradable fabrics refer to fabrics that decompose quite easily and naturally using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi etc. Natural materials like cotton, wool, hemp, or leather can all disintegrate by natural processes. Biodegradable fabrics do not leak microplastics or microfibers with any negative effects and do not release harmful chemicals. The organic material is produced in a manner that reduces waste and pollution

This is an interesting perspective; that customers are looking for biodegradable products seems incorrect. If you did a survey to ask customers from various product categories what "biodegradable textiles" means or looks like, they may be able to give the jist, but it's doubtful they could provide the essentials of efficient biodegradability. There is this misnomer again that biodegradable is anything natural, but barely any textiles are wholly natural, due to finishes and dyes. At the end of the product's usable lifecycle, how will the customer play out their pride? Do they all have home composting facilities, or are we anticipating that they can throw the item outside and it'll magically disappear?

What's missing here is how truly biodegradable textiles disrupt the system. A textile that can beneficially break down to become part of the nutrients cycle that can become fibre and a textile again is really what biodegradable textiles is offering our planet. It's how textiles used to be, until synthetic inputs were developed. The innovation in biodegradable textiles is how to embed indigenous knowledge of textile production while creating excitement for products that fit our current consumer needs. And with that last point it should be noted that consumers often don't know what they need, yet the amount of options is confounding so then they want everything. True biodegradability strips that back.

Biodegradable, biopolymers, biotextiles, biomaterials... they're all marketed words that embed confusion. Anything can biodegrade, including plastic, but the question should be if any of these materials are beneficial. Do they present an opportunity for a truly circular economy where there isn't waste and everything is a nutrient for something else? Or do they present an opportunity to shift the linear production model that is detrimental environmentally and socially to a model that is regenerative, so supporting benefit to economies too? I'd recommend Regenerative Fashion by Safia Minney, and Sustainable Design Journeys by Kate Fletcher to better understand this.

The fabric created by our partner factories is polyester fabric that is fully Bio Degradable. You don't need to go to any special facility to compost and can just be thrown in your backyard and forget about it. In 2-3 years, it will compost and become soil and you have nothing to worry. How more easy can be the process? Like everything else, consumers need to be explained by either social media or putting hangtags so that they know what to do once they decide not to wear it anymore. This fabric is great especially for under garments that cannot be donated or recycled. We are getting very good response from some very good customers.