Published 2 years ago on Jan 21, 2023
by Sanjay LalView: 5667

In the recently concluded Glocal Textile Convention held in New Delhi, the topic of powerplay 1 was Mission MMF 10X

A very interesting and thought-provoking topic. The panelists rather than talking about Mission MMF 10X rather chose to showcase their products and achievements.

Nevertheless, the topic itself is very interesting one needs to be dealt with and calls for healthy brainstorming.

 

With the change in global fashion trends, the demand for man-made fibers for textiles is spreading all over the world, especially as a competitor to cotton. At present, the global man-made fiber consumption is at the ratio of 72:28, which means man-made fibers account for 72% of the overall textile fiber conception. The natural fiber consumption globally remains at just 28%! This is mainly due to the limitation of natural fiber growth and the demand for versatile fabrics. 

 

India has been traditionally focusing on Cotton textiles whereas the global mill fiber consumption is moving towards Manmade Fibre (MMF). Recognizing the potential for growth and employment in the MMF sector, the Production Linked (PLI) Scheme for textiles has been formulated with an approved outlay of approx Rs 10,683 crore over five years, to promote the production of MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Products of Technical Textiles in the country. The objective is to enable the Textile sector to achieve size and scale and to become competent. Increased availability of MMF and MMF yarn will contribute to the overall growth in the textile industry using mixed fiber/yarn.

 

Cotton prices in India have risen from Rs 40,000 to Rs 97,000 in the last 18 months.

Due to the lower opening stock and slightly increased consumption, prices have soared in many key marketplaces. With the US ban on Russian oil and US tie-ups in Europe, as well as a spike in raw material prices due to the ongoing geopolitical crises, the price could rise much more. There have also been unconfirmed reports of hoarding of cotton to drive up prices. The garment companies’ margins have been squeezed by a 70-80 percent price increase in the last year.

The war and rising crude oil costs have completely disrupted US and Australian exports to other countries. There has been a logistical problem with shipping and the availability of ships and containers all over the world since last year. Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia placed large orders for cotton from the United States and Australia, but these orders were badly delayed due to ship and container shortages. As a result, these countries, which rely entirely on imports, began buying cotton from India from November to January. As a result, roughly 15 lakh bales of cotton were exported from India in the last season. The fear is that the industry will not have enough cotton to get us through this cotton season and that the next cotton will arrive in September.

 

 

Since the price of cotton has soared, manufacturers have been looking for an alternative, and looks like they have found one! Speaking about the ongoing transition to man-made fiber (MMF).

Man-made fibers (MMF) are mainly of two types viz., synthetic and cellulosic. Synthetic fibers are produced from crude oil and cellulosic fibers are from wood pulp. The main varieties of synthetic staple fibers are polyester, acrylic, and polypropylene.

Multifunctional clothing is defined as clothing that allows consumers to use it during different occasions and functions. Besides that, it is also caused by different situations or weather conditions

 

Going a little back in time, in the year 1939 commercial production of nylon was started by DuPont. In the very beginning on an experimental basis, they used nylon in parachute fabric, in women’s hosiery, and sewing thread. Nylon stockings were firstly visible to the public at the San Francisco Exposition in February 1939.

 

The times of war, Asian silk was replaced by nylon in parachutes. The other uses of Nylon are in military supplies, ponchos, tyres, ropes, tents, and high-grade paper to make U.S. currency. At the time of war cotton was the most commonly used fiber and its uses were more than 80% more than any other fiber. Another 20% is shared by wool and other manufactured fibers. August 1945 was the time of the end of the war, at that time cotton shared 75% of the fiber market and a rise of 15% was seen in the market of manufactured fibers.

 

After the war America grew more in industrial and economic prospects. That is the time of starting of Nylon to be used for domestic purposes. When first-time nylon stockings were advertised, thousands of women rushed to the stores to purchase them.

Two scientists J. T. Dickson and J. R. Whinfield from the Calico Printers Association of Great Britain obtained polyester fiber from condensation polymerization of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid. DuPont patented its rights for Imperial Chemical Industries and the United States.

 

Having said that on the other side, we must not forget the ugly face of MMF materials. 

Did you know that on average, clothes lose 10 percent of their weight by the end of their lifecycle? When it comes to natural fabrics, their abrasion causes no harm to your health. Fast Fashion Synthetics, on the other hand, emit hazardous nanoparticles both in the environment and your body. 

 

 

The production of petroleum-based synthetic materials (those made from fossil fuels, such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic) generates a large number of greenhouse gases. When washed, clothing made from these fibers also releases microplastics into oceans, lakes, and other waters.

Whenever we wash synthetic fabrics, they shed hundreds of thousands of microplastics that make it past the washing machine’s filtration system. These fibers account for an estimated 60% of the material in our clothes worldwide.

 

Fashion has a polyester problem.

 

It is the most widely used clothing fiber in the world, but as a synthetic material made from plastic, polyester needs a lot of energy to produce and is highly water and air-polluting, according to the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

 

As well as being inexpensive, polyester does not crease and can be washed at low temperatures. However, the laundry process also releases tiny fibers known as microplastics, which can be harmful to marine life. While polyester lasts for years, longevity is a double-edged sword — clothes can be worn many times but will likely end up in landfill, and don’t biodegrade.

Fashion today is about the obsession with outward image and appearance. Rarely do we as consumers consider what’s on the inside: the hundreds of thousands of fibers that make up our clothing which has led to an estimated 1.4 million trillion plastic fibers in the ocean. 

While it is immensely important to note their effect on the planet, we would be remiss to leave out the impact these materials have on you, the consumer. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, considered “Performance” material, make up much of the workout clothes available today.

 

However, synthetics are sadly the perfect fibers for bacteria to live in.

Most athletics wear boasts of “moisture-wicking,” a process created to quickly remove sweat from your skin. While that may sound helpful, it actually tricks your body into sweating more, as it wicks away your sweat before the moisture can do its job of cooling down your skin. This can result in excessive sweating, dehydration, and the loss of minerals your body needs during workouts. Since our skin is the greatest organ in our body when our pores open up to release that vital sweat, it is also taking in all of the toxins found in the synthetic made performance wear

By 2030 it is expected synthetics will make up 75 of global apparel fiber production.

Considering synthetics are most often made from petroleum-based plastic, it does not look good.

Words like sustainability, circular fashion, upcycling, and recycling may have entered the fashion vocabulary, but the real challenge is to find fibers that have a low environmental impact and non-polluting processes.

 

The drop in garment prices over the last 20 years has allowed us to buy more and more clothes. We now have 5 times more clothes than our grandparents had. It felt great until we found out what was hiding behind this trend.

In reality, this continuous accumulation of cheap garments is only possible because of a constant reduction of production costs. This, in turn, has serious consequences on our health, our planet, and on garment workers’ lives.

 

The solution is not to replace one type of fiber with another. This is not a conversation about natural versus synthetic materials — but about a radical slowdown in fashion

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Sanjay Lal

With over 30 years of experience, Sanjay is a veteran in the sourcing field. He started his buying house in 1989, exporting fabrics to Bangladesh. He then diversified into exports of yarn, commodities like rice, fresh fruits & vegetables. He also started contract farming of raw cotton in Africa.

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